


New World to be Mine

by Susimau



Series: Hongjoong's Utopia [2]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alien Pets, Alien Sex, All the fun piercings on Hongjoong, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Amphibris!Mingi, Bleuwy!Yunho, Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, Fluff and Smut, Genie!San, Heavy Angst, Human!Hongjoong, Human(?)!Yeosang, Hybrid!Jongho, Lashunta!Wooyoung, M/M, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s), Nightwalker!Seonghwa, space pirates!ateez
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:39:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 25,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22903327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susimau/pseuds/Susimau
Summary: It was the utopia that Hongjoong had hoped for, but they would have to fight to live in it. Dark shadows of betrayal are reaching out to his crew.Sequel of 'Will you be my friend?'
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Hongjoong's Utopia [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604446
Comments: 193
Kudos: 318





	1. Prologue

It was hilarious to see Hongjoong's entire crew gathered around their little kitchen table at home, which was designed for four people only. Hongjoong's mother sat at the head, next to her on the sideboard her teacup and with Hongjoong at her side, while the rest of them flocked around the small tabletop.

Hongjoong's parents had been against hologram furniture for aesthetic reasons, and Hongjoong never thought that one day it would amuse him so much.

On the other hand, the hysteria towards them was mostly just a tedious hiding of his own nervousness. Seonghwa sat extra inconspicuously far away from him and Hongjoong tried hard not to look at him, but mothers were intelligent beings.

Especially when it came to their own sons.

"Introduce them to me, Hongjoong!"

His father was out again and did not know they were coming. Hongjoong's mother had welcomed them a few minutes earlier in tears at the door and chased them into the kitchen, offering them cookies and tea.

And here they were. A bunch of weird pirates, politely sitting on their hands in silence.

Hongjoong gave a distorted smile.

"Well, this is Yunho," he joked, pointing to the attentive bleuwy next to him, whom his mother already knew inside out.

Both laughed out loud and the crew relaxed noticeably. San still seemed to have the most problems, hiding behind a veil of metal chains.

"Of course, I know that! Are you two together again? I'm so glad you were able to bring a friend along!"

Yunho and Hongjoong exchanged grimaces.

"Ah, no, I..." Don't look at Seonghwa.

"We got sick of each other after college. I tolerate the fruitdwarf as a friend, but that's it," Yunho saved him effortlessly and again everyone laughed a bit. Hongjoong kicked at him.

Hongjoong had agreed with Seonghwa that they should keep their relationship to themselves for now. Not because Hongjoong's mother would not approve of them, but simply because they both did not feel comfortable with this kind of spotlight. If she noticed it, so be it. But they did not want to make an official statement about it.

"I'm only in because Hongjoong needed a doctor."

The woman at Hongjoong's side just smiled benignly, then looked cautiously at Hongjoong again.

"Oh, uh, yes. This one next to Yunho is Mingi. We've met him... at a festival! He was looking for a home and ta-da, we had it."

Mingi smiled sunny and Hongjoong's mother returned the gesture no less cheerfully.

"That next to him is Seonghwa, our pilot and vice-captain. He owned the ship." Hongjoong proudly pointed to the nightwalker, who then smiled shyly, bowing cautiously to Hongjoong's mother. All in extra sweet and respectful.

"Then there's Jongho, our youngest and newest addition! He came to us from Miset barely five months ago." Hongjoong conspiratorially leaned over to his mother, who was already having a dramatic eye duel with Jongho.

"Don't talk to him about his race, he's as silent as a grave," he whispered to her almost soundlessly and Yeosang hid his grin behind his hand.

"And that's Wooyoung! He more or less jumped into our arms because he wanted to leave home."

Wooyoung smiled politely and bowed his head, too.

"San is- San is San. He is Wooyoung's boyfriend."

He could see from here how much San's hand was cramped under the table into Wooyoung's and almost felt sorry for taking him with him but the djinn had insisted on it himself.

"Yeosang is our mechanic. He came on board together with Wooyoung, the two are good friends. He and I always work together on projects.

Yeosang just nodded, too shy to do anything more.

"And this is Aurora." Hongjoong lifted his green winged kitten from his lap. His mother had already doted on the little creature when she had arrived, stroking her soft fur enthusiastically even now.

"They are all terribly nice and best friends. Albeit subtly shy." Hongjoog looked cheerfully back and forth between the two parties.

"It's a great pleasure to meet you all. Hongjoong didn't tell me much about who he's with, and after all I only knew Yunho."

Unanimous greetings were mumbled, but they all relaxed a bit Yunho got his cheerful smile again.

"So who came first? Which poor soul saw you and decided to accompany the little one?", his mother teased him softly and indignantly Hongjoong reminded her to her own height. Yunho and Mingi giggled to themselves.

Hongjoong's mother was not necessarily half the size of Yunho, but he measured a good meter more than she did.

"Aurora, actually. All her people liked me." Defiantly, he stuck out his tongue and snuggled the faithful, dear Aurora closer to his chest.

"And from the gentlemen? Yunho, were you there as soon as Hongjoong told you his plan?"

Yunho shook his head frantically, his eyes wide.

"Not at all. He didn't manage to hire his bangaa friend either, because nobody really wanted to give up his life for wishful thinking." Carefully, Yunho's gaze wandered to Seonghwa.

"He was first," Hongjoong nodded to Seonghwa, who then nervously thinned his lips.

"Ah, it was Seonghwa, right?"

He just nodded, wearing his hair in soft curls falling into his forehead today, not his usual unfair hairstyle, which was brushed back and sideways. He looked nice.

"Incredible, how did he manage to have such charm that you wanted to stay with him? And let him take your ship?"

Seonghwa gave her his crooked smile, playing nervously with his hands.

"He... Hongjoong was very convincing. And when you have nothing else to do..." He raised his hands in small and Hongjoong fought back a smile.

"Hongjoong! I raised you so you wouldn't blackmail people into going on an adventure with you!"

"Mom... He wasn't blackmailed! They all volunteered!"

"Don't fool me." She tapped the tip of his nose with a grin.

"What would a good-looking nightwalker like that want with a pirate crew? You kidnapped him, didn't you?" She gave Jongho a playful look and Hongjoong snorted entertainedly at the thought that the rest of them were ugly enough to pass for pirates. Thank you.

"Tell me, are you spoken for, darling? Ah, what mother wouldn't get used to that face on her son-in-law?"

The crew slowly became more lively, joking among themselves as Seonghwa's mouth twitched and Hongjoong pulled his mother's sleeve with a bright red face.

"I already have someone, in fact. The best people are always taken," he agreed with artificial sadness and her laughter echoed across the room as bright as a bell.

Hongjoong was almost giving up.

-

It was already late in the evening and most of the crew had already made a camp on Hongjoong's bedroom floor in a large, cozy mountain. Hongjoong himself was still sitting with his mother in their kitchen, catching up before he too went to sleep.

"Why do they all have no parents, Hongjoong?"

Hongjoong looked thoughtfully down into his hot chocolate, trying to find all the answers inside.

"They have them... in part. But they still preferred to come with me."

"San and Mingi..."

"Yeah. San and Mingi. Some others too, but these two depend on it the most. They don't know what this is like."

"They're all so young, Hongjoong, how did you manage to find a bunch of young, broken people just like this?"

A glimpse of a smile flashed across Hongjoong's face.

"That's what Yunho told me back then. That my whole crew would be made up of special cases. And here we are."

Seonghwa stepped through the door, shaking some rain from his hair and shoulders. When he found Hongjoong and his mother at the table, a candle between them and steaming drinks in their hands, his eyes became soft.

"Aurora alright on the ship?"

"Aye, Captain, but I don't think anyone will try to break in." Seonghwa slipped out of his boots, then trudged over to them to reach over Hongjoong's shoulder for a cookie.

He had become quite accustomed to Hongjoong's mother, helping her diligently with the cooking and washing up as well. He was the model perfect son-in-law. She idolized him.

"We thought that multiple times and it was in vain, no?" Amused, Hongjoong looked up at him, studying the shape of his face from underneath him.

"When did you get together?" Hongjoong's mother asked them softly and Hongjoong sipped his drink again with a sigh. She knew everything.

"Since a while ago. Half a year? Before the crew was complete." Seonghwa seemed to have expected it too, just leaning his hip relaxed against Hongjoong's shoulder. Absent, Hongjoong put an arm around his middle, now able to drop the charade.

"Such a perfect son-in-law, huh, Mama?"

She just laughed, much like Hongjoong, then encouraged Seonghwa to have another cookie.

"I wouldn't complain about him." She smiled in good humor, but Hongjoong knew how much it meant to Seonghwa. How important it was for him to be accepted as himself.

"Well, I hope I have good news the next time I see you then."


	2. Info: This Universe's Aliens (for future reference)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This universe's species! A.G = Appearance on Google, i.e. if you put in the names (or avatar in that case) in google, you get pictures
> 
> Some of these do not appear in this story or it's sequel as i have other works written in this universe do not be surprised!
> 
> !!!!!!ALSO MAJOR SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!

Bleuwy: Have the outer appearance of the Avatars from the movie 'Avatar'. They are very strong and have powers that include teleportation, seeing in the dark, or an infinite supply of air (A.G.)

Wodae: They are winged people who can descend from any bird. Raven wodae have wolf companions

Fenris: Is a kind of werewolf that is accompanied by ravens. The fenris can change their shape, its companion cannot. If the Fenris is the companion, it is always in wolf form, the wodae can change. Fenris are the three days of the full moon continuously rabid and in werewolf form.

Nightwalkers: are nocturnal illusionists who see in the dark and suffer under the sun. They populate the undersides of the floating islands and are capable of magic spells. Drink human blood. The bite of a monarch can cancel out all magic spells on someone. Can turn into darkness in the shadows. Not all aliens can be enchanted by them

Amphibris: Crossbreeds of amphibians and humans, warm-blooded. Have scales and horns, usually larger than normal humans and good fighters.

Naga: half snake, half man (female form: Lamia or Nagini) with 2,4 or 6 arms, depending on their origin. Cold-blooded. (A.G.)

Viera: enchanted crossbreeds of rabbits and humans that have a strong understanding of magic (A.G)

Seek: upright walking and talking pigs with actual brains (A.G)

Mogrys: small cat- or hare-like fluff balls that fly and are used as messengers. Capable of teleportation (A.G.)

Troll Juncha: A rhinoceros- or wild boar-like animal with two tusks and two horns. Mostly wild and territorial. (A.G., but please be careful (gore). The one on four legs it is.)

Úi: A galaxy of its own within a being that can take on any shape. Very rare and often worshipped as deities

Princes: Star beings that shine from inside out and have an almost human shape, not clearly recognizable because of the glow, can go out temporarily. Natural enemies of the nightwalkers

Wyrm: A subgroup of dragons, only without legs and wings, large blind snakes living in the dark (a.g.)

Jackalope: Hare with antlers, comes from the Salika Forest, has healing and calming powers (a.g.)

Tiefling: Probably most similar to a demon, these creatures have horns as well as a lizard-like tail, they are a further development of the amphibris, where the amphibian side is more developed. (a.g.)

Khajiit: A nomadic people from the desert, humanoid cat creatures that speak and are known for their trade skills (a.g.)

Lashunta: A humanoid alien race, whose antennae serve them for telepathy and who usually have colorful skin and bone growth on their skulls (a.g.)

Farlan: Omnivorous monsters without eyes and nose, whose upper part of the face is covered by a white skull. Disgusting. Have bone limbs as hands with which they slaughter their prey.

Bangaa: Upright, talking lizards (A.G.)

Djinn: magical shape-shifters (A.G.)

Kaflera: Small, colourful mammals. Have six legs, the face of a cat and butterfly wings (more robust and with fur), as well as bat ears. Likes to eat beetles. They have excellent hearing and are capable of complex thoughts

Duohumans/hybrids: Inhabitants of Miset, consisting of one animal and one human mixed together with various skills

Sèse: Another god-like creature that is born dead and come to life through magic given to it. Incredibly powerful


	3. Hilg

Hongjoong barely had time to come home properly, only unceremoniously dropping his bag on the floor and stumbling onto his bed with a sigh.

He never wanted to part from his cuddly coat again.

Seonghwa laughed softly as he entered the room minutes later, finding their captain stretched out like a starfish on his bed.

"What, she wasn't so exhausting after all! So nice." He put his bag down as well, tidying Hongjoong's neatly aside.

"She likes you, because she would have preferred to see you every day after getting up, rather than her own son," Hongjoong groaned hardly angry into his pillow, buried his head in it so as not to have to see Seonghwa's smug grin.

His mother was right, he also liked to see Seonghwa every day after getting up.

The bed dipped under the weight of the nightwalker as he sat down at Hongjoong's side, sluggishly starting to play with the hair on his nape. 

"She's clearly missing something. I like waking up next to you."

Hongjoong just grumbled, but did his friend the favor of turning to him. For a moment, he tiredly blinked up at him, at the beauty of his nightwalker in the soft orange light of their room. A languid grin split Hongjoong's lips. 

"At least one person does... Good to know." With some hustle and bustle, he managed to snuggle up to Seonghwa, resting his head on his lap. A faint yawn slipped away from him, and again his eyelids fluttered, demanding rest. Seonghwa's fingers were so soft and curly in his hair, only pulling him deeper into the spell of sleep.

For a brief moment, all was quiet and the darkness stretched pleasantly behind Hongjoong's eyelids, then the sound of footsteps pulled him out of his trance again.

"Captain, did you-! Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Wooyoung's voice immediately went from loud and excited to a hissing whisper. Seonghwa sighed softly from above and Hongjoong turned his head to Wooyoung as nonchalantly as possible, trying not to look too sleepy.

"What's up, Woo?"

Wooyoung seemed to think for a moment, bobbing his delicate blue feelers, then a suspicious grin spread across his face.

"What were you doing down there, Cap?"

With a groan, Hongjoong rolled off Seonghwa's lap, about to get up and chase their local lashunta through the lair, as the already giggling alien scurried behind the door frame. Only his curly head still peeked carefully around the corner, his sunny grin full of cheerfulness.

"I just wanted to let you know that Changkyun is waiting upstairs. He said he had something to discuss with you." With a shrug of his shoulders and a sunny grin he hurried away and Hongjoong dropped back to Seonghwa's shoulder, sighing again.

"It's not as if there's much to do down here," Hongjoong grumbled exhausted from the endless teasing of the other, but at least he threw his legs off the bed to go to see their friend and only neighbor.

Seonghwa paused for a moment, gently grabbing a handful of hair on Hongjoong's head and pulling it aside a bit, exposing his flawless neck more.

"Can be changed." His voice was deep and heavy with his accent, making Hongjoong shudder comfortably even after many months and wriggle from his loose grip.

"Perhaps another time. I'm dead tired, but I'll gladly come back to it in the morning."

He was already halfway out the door, waving to a lost Mingi standing in the living room, when Jongho came to follow by his heels. In silent aplomb he accompanied Hongjoong on his way out, through the sparsely lit crystal cave and into the fresh air. Changkyun was already here, leaning against one of the broken columns that flanked the entrance of their shelter. The moonlight shimmered pale on his black curls, further accentuating his pale skin.

When he heard them, he raised his head, showing a faint smile.

"Hey, did you get home okay?"

Hongjoong returned the nightwalker's hand gesture in greeting, applying enough pressure to hook his outstretched index finger around the other's icy one for a moment. Jongho copied him with silence.

"Tired, but alright, yes. What's new?"

"There were people... They were looking for you. I think they know you're here." Changkyun leaned back against the column with folded arms and Hongjoong also unwillingly drew his brows together.

"What, bounty hunters?"

"Not just that anymore. They threatened to call in the military if you don't show your face in the ring soon. They wanted... Wooyoung, I think."

That was what this was about. Wooyoung's father pushed them again.

"We'll get rid of some soldiers, too. He can't sic the whole fleet on one small crew. But thanks for the warning, I hope they didn't bother you too much?"

Changkyun shook his head mildly, his deep voice honest. 

"They didn't. I kicked their butts and they ran away like cowardly dogs. No problem."

Hongjoong grinned at him tiredly and Jongho also patted his shoulder approvingly, then looked around briefly lost in the dark forest.

"When will they come back? Maybe we'll be gone by then."

"Tomorrow."

They exchanged skeptical looks.

"That seems a bit early, doesn't it? Are they in such a hurry to get Wooyoung back? It's not like he's not like totally annoying."

Hongjoong struck softly at Jongho.

"I'm sure they're up to something. That's why I wanted to see you tonight and not tomorrow. You know where to find me if you have any problems. I'll watch the Sunrise and have it ready to go should they plan a trap." 

Hongjoong nodded gratefully to Changkyun, then said goodbye to him for the evening. He and Jongho walked back to the camp with their heads lowered equally by the lashing wind. Changkyun merged with the darkness without any problems and returned to his own aboveground home.

Changkyun had been here before them, but he proved to be the most loyal friend they could wish for. He had lived in the underground cave system they now housed, was a descendant of those who had built it many years before.

The story of Akye and her pirate crew was not unknown, neither to history books nor to the modern pirates who looked back on this crew with respect. Changkyun was the grandson of one of their crew members and while he had not been there when the Comet Crew uncovered and stopped the illegal research on the nightwalkers, he saw a certain pride in being the descendant of one of those legendary pirates.

It was not hard to guess that Changkyun did not think highly of the government and they looked down on him as well. The pirates had fallen from grace again and Changkyun had become a stubborn enemy of the fleet. As one of the last descendants of the Comets, he lived up to their reputation and fought with the same fervor. It was no wonder that he defended Hongjoong's crew from the bastards of the government.

Hongjoong could understand. They supported each other.

So it was also Changkyun who watched their visitors here and chased them away in case of emergency.

It also was not the first time that he had to deal with the men of Wooyoung's father, but their visits became more frequent with time. Hongjoong became more famous, notorious for his jailbreak, the kidnapped lashunta and also for uncovering the criminal ring San had been in (Taemin had given him the laurels).

It was obvious that Wooyoung's father wanted his son back before he was shot by soldiers or locked up for life. He excused it as a worry, but he was only concerned about his own reputation, and Wooyoung could easily guess that, too.

Hongjoong would have a bone to pick with them tomorrow, try to settle it once and for all, but of course they would come back. The endless cycle never stopped.

"We should just get rid of this father. It's not as if Wooyoung would resent us," Jongho once again expressed all of their thoughts bitterly and like every time, Hongjoong sighed heavily.

He did not really want murder on his list of crimes.

"He knows that we would not kill him. That's what gives him that false sense of security."

"Just send Yeosang in. Best Assassin." Jongho shivered a little as they crossed the crystal cave, wandering peacefully around the sparkling lake in the middle.

No, Jongho had improved as far as Yeosang was concerned, but he would never dare turn his back on the mysterious man. Hongjoong denied himself a smile.

"Maybe I'll ask Taemin about this some day. It never hurts to ask him for an opinion. He may have a more effective method of making him forget than sending a nightwalker."

Jongho was a nice fellow and held the door open in agreement with his smaller captain, before he shuffled wearily into their camp again. At least someone had collected Mingi from the middle of the room, that was good. 

Instead, San had curled up on the soft couch in the corner, dozed off in the crook of his arm while he had awaited their arrival. 

One look at Jongho was enough and then the man picked up the absolutely trustful djinn already in his arms, let his white blond head come to rest numbly on his shoulder. San was so close to them, protecting them with a wild intensity. It had taken him only a few months to fully settle in and he would not leave his place for anything in the world.

Hongjoong still remembered all too well how he had met them with suspicious eyes and now he was sleeping deeply and firmly in their immediate surroundings.

Jongho quietly wished Hongjoong a good night and carried him away. Proud and also dead tired, Hongjoong also retired to his room.


	4. Visit

Hongjoong's night was restless. Every few hours he woke up in the darkness for no reason and anxiously felt up the mattress for Seonghwa for a moment, only to remember that the man still had work to do. So he just tossed himself around again and waited a long time until sleep overcame him.

When it was morning and time to get up, Hongjoong felt exhausted. But Seonghwa was with him again.

Hongjoong found himself in the soft embrace of the nightwalker, his eyes barely opened and for a moment the exhaustion was forgotten. Satisfied, he lolled back against the body of the other one, who was pressed against his back, suppressing a yawn. Time to convince himself he was in top shape.

"Morning, Hwa.", he greeted the other man throatily and allowed his tired eyes to rest for a moment, sighing deeply into his pillow. Seonghwa's fingers lay under his shirt on his naked skin, playing lost with the belly button piercing that Hongjoong had done himself a few months ago. The metal competed fiercely with his tongue piercing for Seonghwa's favorite on Hongjoong.

"Good morning." The nightwalker's cold nose slipped down Hongjoong's throat as he spread feathery kisses across the other's skin, bringing some life back to Hongjoong.

"I know I said today but I don't think I should lose too much blood before a Woo visit, sorry." 

Hongjoong's hand came up to dig softly into Seonghwa's hair, his breath becoming unregular as his nightwalker began to nibble harmlessly on his neck, leaving no doubt colorful marks along the way.

"Wise thinking." 

Seonghwa could not care less, though. His left hand wandered upwards beneath Hongjoong's shirt, pushing the fabric further up to expose smooth skin. His fingers began to play gently with the delicate piercing on his chest, while his right slipped under the waistband of his shorts.

Hongjoong muffled his noises in his arms and pillows as Seonghwa, practiced and in all calmness, found Hongjoong's exact weak points, turning his body into a hot oven within seconds. Hongjoong hardly felt Seonghwa's cool front on his back, biting his knuckles to avoid falling into loud whimpering.

Hongjoong's body twitched uncontrollably at first under Seonghwa's cool grip on his heated flesh, but this soon faded away as waves of sweet lust sloshed over his body. 

Seonghwa's movements were purposeful and not designed to tease. His fingers knew how to touch his piercings to get the maximum reaction out of Hongjoong, and it did not take more than minutes until Hongjoong's belly was already simmering in a hot pool. 

"Seong-"

The man found his lips wordlessly, kissing the sweet sounds of his ecstasy away, while Hongjoong's body tensed up for a moment and arched against him. Then he sank boneless into Seonghwa's arms, heavy and blissful.

Seonghwa kissed him deeply and warmly for a moment longer, then he retreated, bringing his hands back to normal places - his hips. Hongjoong sighed with satisfaction.

"I'll take a shower, you make breakfast?"

"Sounds good."

-

San was already high in the air and sitting on his flying carpet with Wooyoung when the men of their greatest adversary arrived. Yeosang had heard them coming and chased Woosan out, high and safe where no one suspected them. 

Yunho guarded Mingi inside and Hongjoong had stepped out with Seonghwa and Jongho to receive their visitors.

This time they came in a group of 10 people, different races but mainly strong fighters like Naga or Amphibris. Their nightwalkers had been left at home for once today, it seemed.

"Hand over Wooyoung!"

At least they got right down to business. 

Hongjoong resolutely folded his arms in front of his warm, furry leopard print coat.

"How many times do we have to tell you? You won't get him without bloodshed, and if you go for it, you'll endanger his survival," he returned harshly, studying their ranks - they did not look like soldiers. 

"You are surrounded! Hand over Wooyoung and I'll put in a good word for you. You won't get away today!"

Hongjoong just sighed, glanced at his communicator who was passing everything on to the others. It was their signal to return to the ship. Above them, Wooyoung and San flew off unnoticed through the treetops.

"How many times, gentlemen. We have no interest in turning him in or being captured. You know how it is. Why is it you people always think your claim works today more than yesterday?"

The naga he was talking to was angrily gnashing his teeth, waving at someone behind him.

Finally the announced soldiers appeared. Once again they were of all races, experienced, trained fighters, bringing with them rumbling beasts that only waited to be let off their leashes.

Quietly Hongjoong stared them down.

"What, the army is helping a bunch of scum do more illegal things than pirates could ever wish for? Once again, I am deeply disappointed in the government. Not that this is anything new," he said loudly, Seonghwa and Jongho behind him also seemed ready to take up arms.

"We have our reasons, Captain. It seems there is more than one problem to start with this crew. We have come to sort things out. The lashunta is only a side action," a bangaa from their front ranks addressed him. On a long chain behind him, he was leading a farlan, a true beast whose cruel grin seemed to be aimed directly at Hongjoong.

He did not let his restlessness show.

"Like what?"

"It has come to our attention that not only have you kidnapped this boy. You also appear to be carrying illegal techniques that have allowed you to escape in the past. In addition to your crimes, these must be confiscated."

He meant San. No, how nice.

"And also..."

Hongjoong raised his head nonchalantly, only to see the bangaa staring directly at Seonghwa.

"Also, you're housing a war criminal."

Hongjoong couldn not stop the barking laughter that escaped him. Scornfully, he glanced at the assembled troops, at the trouble they were going through over a small pirate crew.

"War criminal? Don't be ridiculous. We know all about it. We know about him being the one loose end that could expose your war crimes. Are you so afraid of him that you have to make such a fuss? Absolutely pathetic. We have no interest in you."

Hongjoong's heart was already beating a little faster when he had to hold back reaching for Seonghwa's hand, to comfortingly squeeze it. Those guys always had to ruin everything.

"He's a nightwalker, Captain. No offense, but you've heard how 500 years ago the nightwalkers manipulated everyone, and now-"

"And that was you too. The comets brought you down because of it. Honorable men died because of you and your crimes against the nightwalkers!"

Sometimes Hongjoong wondered if they really believed it. ...if the government soldiers were stupid enough to eat up anything from their leaders even without any influence from the nightwalkers.

"How dare you mention the comets when you bring with you the one who slaughtered their descendants? How can you refer to them when you are protecting the one you are accusing?"

The rows of the soldiers were restless, their displeasure obvious, while Hongjoong continued to buy them time.

"So you admit it? That it was the government's mistake?"

The bangaa snorted in annoyance, flailing his free paw wildly.

"They weren't there for the government! They were there out of their own decision! Whatever that man told you, whatever spells he put you on, they are lies! Come to your senses, we wouldn't do such a thing! We wiped out these liars before they could do any more damage."

Hongjoong leaned his head back victoriously, staring down at the other man from a distance.

"How strange that the suicide order didn't work for everyone. I'm sure you good citizen would kill yourself right away for those lying bastards. I don't think you'd protect a pirate. I think you'd come here, corrupted by a rich man's money and hounded by your own lies to cut off the loose ends. But guess what. It's none of my business. This is my crew, and you ain't gonna get one of them."

The bangaa was enraged, but signaled his men to stop when they began to shuffle more fidgetily on their feet.

"If you protect this man, you will commit the same crime as the E27. Can you blame yourself for the death of thousands of your kind, pirate?", he spit contemptuously, all kindness from before vanished.

Hongjoong just grinned openly at him.

"You seem to be sleeping peacefully without knowing what really happened. I can sleep soundly because I know exactly what happened and know the lie. So get off my island."

The vangaa silently signaled the attack and Hongjoong lifted his communicator to his lips.

"San? I wish the entire crew to be on board the Sunrise."

"Aye, Cap-"

"No, wait, don't do that!"

Before Hongjoong understood what Wooyoung's sudden exclamation meant, they already fell to the bottom of the bridge, safe and sound on the Sunrise.

Hongjoong caught Yunho's eye where the bleuwy was sitting in the pilot's seat and wanted to congratulate him on his successful escape, but his words died away when he saw the other man's stony gaze. It was directed at something behind him.

Hongjoong turned around and did not understand what he saw.

Why had Wooyoung just rammed a knife into Seonghwa's stomach?


	5. Crack

Hongjoong did not give another second thought to the significance of what was happening at the time, by that time he had already grabbed Seonghwa at the shoulder and protectively pulled him behind himself. He placed himself between Seonghwa and Wooyoung, one hand concerned on Seonghwa's back, where the man curled up groaning around the injury.

"Wooyoung! What the hell?!"

Confused, but also angry Hongjoong looked from Wooyoung to Yunho, who only watched them apathetically, and then to the equally confused Jongho.

"Did you know?" Wooyoung's voice was icy, absolutely unforgiving. It matched his narrowed eyes. 

"Did I know- What is this about, Wooyoung?!" He frantically pushed Seonghwa further back when Wooyoung took a threatening step towards him, protecting the nightwalker with his full body.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Hongjoong? Was that him? You can't tell me you volunteered to bring a fucking soldier, a fucking E27, in our midst!"

Hongjoong did not understand yet, trying to recall where the issue had suddenly become relevant.

"Can it be? Did Seonghwa play a game with him?" Wooyoung looked to Yunho for help, and Hongjoong could only watch helplessly, arms outstretched far in front of Seonghwa.

Yunho looked undecided. 

"I mean... We didn't know about this, but Hongjoong obviously did. People are easily put under a spell, but-"

"Shut up." It was Seonghwa, resting his hand tremulous on Hongjoong's shoulder with the rest of his fingers pressed tightly against his stomach. Hongjoong panicked and supported him as he swayed like a pendulum.

"Do you expect so little from him? Do you really think he would endanger you like this?" He sounded grim, the pain barely hidden by his voice, and again Yunho looked so helpless.

Wooyoung did not.

"You shut up! We trust Hongjoong, but not scum like you! Do you have any moral idea what you have done? No one would accept you anywhere!"

Wooyoung's words hurt Hongjoong too and he had no idea how much more deep they would cut into Seonghwa's sensitive mind. Fiercely he stepped further towards Wooyoung, swatting gruffly at his drawn blade.

"What are you talking about? You know Seonghwa, he means us no harm!"

"Get away from him, Captain. I don't want to hurt you," Wooyoung tried to be more gentle, careful as with a child and Hongjoong was furious. What did he think he was doing here?

"Woo-" He made the mistake of moving one step too far away from Seonghwa and felt himself be roughly grabbed from the side, torn into someone else's arms. It was Yeosang, who had appeared in the room completely unnoticed and who immediately started wrestling wildly with Hongjoong.

Hongjoong heard the disgusting sound of Wooyoung's fist making contact with Seonghwa's face and saw the nightwalker collapse in the corner of his eyes. He did not fight back at all, why was Wooyoung so blind?!

"You trust your spell on him to protect you? You thought wrong! Fight or die, traitor!

"Wooyoung!" 

Hongjoong tore violently at his wrists into Yeosang's grip, threw his entire body around, but nothing could upset the calm man, and blood dripped over Seonghwa's pale face, his eyes shimmering golden.

Wooyoung's blood. 

It was an impulse, a sudden leap of thought that helped Hongjoong to find the moment to react. At the moment Yeosang was distracted by Wooyoung, worried about the injury where he had cut his own hand on his blade, Hongjoong twitched backwards, ripping the pistol from his belt.

He pointed it at himself. He would not endanger his crew for anything in the world.

"Wooyoung, get away! If it's me you want to protect, you're making a serious mistake," he warned loudly and indeed, some movement came into the room. Yeosang stepped back from Hongjoong, not wanting to give him any reason to pull the trigger, and Wooyoung also turned his head where he stood over Seonghwa like an avenging angel.

Yunho stood up from his chair in alarm and Jongho went to block the door where a curious San and Mingi peered in.

"Cap. He has bewitched you. You may want to protect him."

Hongjoong slowly moved back over to Seonghwa, pushing back Wooyoung in the process.

"Wrong. I found Seonghwa while he was trying to kill himself because of remorse and guilt. I promised him that his past did not matter to us, so you knew nothing about it. Let the subject go already!" 

With his free hand, he picked up Seonghwa from the ground, allowing the man to lean heavily on him.

"You. Don't you dare try anything. I'll take care of him and then we'll settle this like normal people. Call Taemin to bring a monarch or whatever the fuck you need to do. But don't you dare touch him again." He pointed his weapon in warning from Yeosang to Wooyoung, ignoring the way it trembled and quivered in his hand.

He could not.bring himself to meet Yunho's pitiful gaze again and pulled Seonghwa out with him, supporting the stumbling man. Arriving in their cabin, he locked them in and laid Seonghwa gently down on the bed. The man was trembling all over and seemed to try to hold himself together with his arms rather than just covering the wound. The sight broke Hongjoong's heart.

"Seonghwa. Hwa, please, I'm here to fix it."

"He's right, Hongjoong."

For a moment, everything went still inside him, him feeling like a frozen block instead of his body.

Seonghwa had actually bewitched him? Impossible. He would not do that, right?

"Do what? I heard nothing but nonsense coming out of his mouth today." Hongjoong took his restless sleeve to wipe Wooyoung's blood from Seonghwa's face, anxiously studying the gaping flesh above his cheekbone.

He had rarely felt so powerless. What should he do when his crew turned on each other?

"I shouldn't be here, I should have finished it then. If only I hadn't been such a coward. Look where it got you. It's you against your crew." Hongjoong saw tears shimmering in his eyes and immediately started to shake his head vigorously.

"What are you talking about? We talked about it, it doesn't matter anymore! You're no longer the same, you're no longer brainwashed by the government! You know it was a mistake and you regret it and it doesn't matter. You're not gonna hurt us. Wooyoung just thought he had to protect us."

Hongjoong's fingers gently reached out to Seonghwa's face, wiping away his stray tears as Seonghwa reached weakly for his hands.

"Obviously, I can't be trusted enough if he distrusts me after all this time. I can go, Hongjoong, I can leave you alone. You should feel safe enough to sail with them without worrying and not-" 

Seonghwa broke off with a soft, tormented sound when Hongjoong kissed him roughly, noticing his own tears salty on his lips. Hongjoong tore his own lip from his carelessness and muttered a soft curse against Seonghwa's lips when his tongue immediately flicked out to lick it off. Hongjoong pulled off of him for the moment, then leaned his forehead against the other's, breathing heavily.

"You stay here. You belong to us. Wooyoung is stupid if he thought that I would give up one of you for whatever reason. You're here because I trust you, because I wanted you here and the rest doesn't matter. I'll fight him personally if he doesn't get this into his thick skull."

"You weren't there, Hongjoong. He's right. I killed so many. I killed men and women, children and old people. So many who were not pirates, so many families. Changkyun told us how he is one of the only two surviving children from the Comet line. The rest were there Hongjoong and I-"

He kissed him again, desperate, rough and wet from both their tears. Everything hurt and Seonghwa suffered even more, whimpering and letting Hongjoong clench his hand in the fabric of his shirt, looking for support.

It took a long time before Seonghwa was calm enough to fall asleep, exhausted from his pain and stress. Hongjoong sat by his side for a while, pulling his own hair.

He could not trust Yunho not to kill Seonghwa for their own good. So he let the Sunrise beam a first-aid kit into the room, started to heal the injuries of the nightwalker as good as possible with clenched teeth.

At the part with the transfusions he failed miserably, stabbed the wrong thing several times and bled all over, but finally Seonghwa's wounds started to close again. 

Hongjoong did not dare to move from Seonghwa's side, fearing that Wooyoung would attack through San or Yeosang if he was not here.

But it could not be a permanent solution. They were all on the same ship. He could not protect Seonghwa forever here.

In addition, Yeosang and San would undoubtedly be on Wooyoung's side.

He had to find a better solution quickly.


	6. Suspicions

Seonghwa was fortunately feeling a little better soon and woke up, sitting in silence with Hongjoong in the room for a long time. Both held similar poses of despair, heads buried in their hands. Seonghwa's small orange light in the corner of their room seemed paler than usual, as lost as the rest of them.

Seonghwa's only solution was to leave. Hongjoong's only solution was not to let that happen.

"I will try to explain it to them. You stay here and wait. I don't think they will attack you again."

"I want to come with you. They care about you, they'll try to keep you away from me."

"Seonghwa, there are literally books on how to defend oneself from nightwalkers using their powers by influencing others. I expect enough intelligence from each of them to understand that you mean me no harm."

And so Hongjoong had gone out alone, like a stranger on his own ship towards the bridge.

There he found Aurora and Yunho, obviously arguing with Wooyoung, while the latter was just sitting stubbornly in a corner with San at his side. When Hongjoong arrived, the last explanations from Aurora's sides quickly died down and all pairs of eyes found their tired captain.

"Is he alright? I can take a look at him if you want. As a doctor, I have made a promise," Yunho greeted him immediately with a tense worry, his eyes unsteadily fluttering over Hongjoong's neck and pale skin.

"Yunho!"

"No, Wooyoung! I have told you everything I know. It was me who advised Hongjoong against it at the time, and it was you who was taken care of by Seonghwa when you were doing stupid things that none of us could respect! You saw how he treated Hongjoong when he almost died and you couldn't do anything! He may be a liar and a murderer, but I won't be responsible for his death! Then you can despise me as much as him."

Yunho was furious. Hongjoong had rarely seen the sociable bleuwy so angry during their long friendship, so indecisive about what to believe. Of course, his head screamed at him to be on Hongjoong's side, but they all feared the magic of the nightwalkers. He knew best of all, what they were capable of.

Wooyoung just gave an angry snort, defensively pulling San closer to his side.

"Why don't you think about what this could mean to others here? San? We talked about how nightwalkers-"

Hongjoong interrupted him calmly, his presence in the room almost forgotten. Nevertheless, his soft voice was enough to silence them immediately.

"Then this is about nightwalkers. But we are not discussing the malice of the nightwalkers, we are discussing Seonghwa. San knew exactly who was on board when we took him."

Wooyoung remained silent, his lips pressed together in a thin line. His dark eyes flickered angrily.

Hongjoong tiredly turned to Yunho.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd check on him, if I may accompany you as well. You have broken his trust as much as he has broken yours, and he is very unstable at the moment." He tried to say it neutrally, not to give either party an advantage, but the disappointment in his crew could hardly be taken out of his voice.

"We should get this straight before he gets any ideas. Do you want to get the others?"

He let himself fall awkwardly into his chair, was immediately joined by Aurora, who crawled into his lap and tried to explain herself, vowing to do her best. San scurried out of the room while Hongjoong only stroked exhaustedly through the soft fur of his friend.

Yunho quietly asked him about his methods of wound treatment and Hongjoong explained it to him while Wooyoung just stared silently at a wall, the knives in his belt grinning treacherously.

It only took a few minutes before the rest of the crew wandered back into the room and found a place to sit, eyes pleadingly on Hongjoong.

"I want to tell you in advance that while I may be with Seonghwa, it doesn't mean that I am absolutely blind to everything else. I don't know why I suddenly ended up between him and you, but I want to keep my crew as a whole."

Seriously he looked into their bitter circle, got a cautious nod from Yunho.

"Seonghwa is thinking about leaving the ship, but I won't allow him to do so. Neither will any of you, in this situation, because there really is no reason to."

Hongjoong looked sternly at Wooyoung, who for the first time showed some remorse, his eyes widened in shock.

"It is absolutely not my place to tell you this, but Seonghwa has been struggling with his guilt all along and he has often tried to withdraw or receive his death. Aurora and Yunho know about the first time he did this, Yeosang and Jongho were present when he did it the second time. It shouldn't be hard for you to guess that something is obviously haunting him, and I expected at least a little caution when you heard about it."

They nodded slowly, the witnesses concerned thoughtful.

"I'm sure half of you are concerned by this only partly or this topic is none of your business at all. Of course I understand your fear of someone who killed pirates on your own ship, but you overlook the fact that he is now one himself. And I thought we all agreed that the government has fabricated so many lies that you can't really blame one of their men." He sighed and cracked his neck.

"I trust you to have enough faith in me to know that I am not a abulic puppet of his and that he is not here because he is forcing me to be. However, I know you wouldn't be so upset if there wasn't more to it. So we'll make it real simple."

Hongjoong spun around in his chair, gave a call command to Taemin through the Sunrise.

He did not even pick up, just stood in their midst from one moment to the next. Attentively, his eyes glided through their circle, hanging briefly on Yeosang and San next to each other.

"Hey Joong, it's good to see you. What seek kicked you?"

His voice was like velvet, soft and pleasant around them, and the few who did not know him tilted their heads questioningly. Sp basically Mingi.

"This here is Taemin, King of the South, Ùi and a friend of Seonghwa. We got to know him when we liberated San," Hongjoong gave a general information, pointing Taemin to come to his side.

Casually grinning, the man strolled over to him, leaning at his side dressed black as night.

"Taemin, am I under any nightwalker spells right now? Anyone here?"

Taemin looked around between them for a short moment, eyes unfocused, and at Yeosang's he once again raised his eyebrows confusedly. But he made no comment.

"No. What's the meaning of me not seeing Seonghwa here?" He almost sounded... threatening, an unspoken warning in his voice.

Hongjoong was just nodding Wooyoung to speak as he would certainly not explain this threatening man what wrongs they did to his dear friend. Wooyoung himself gritted his teeth for a moment, too, but then explained his mistrust.

Taemin did not hold back his incredulous laughter.

"Seonghwa? What nonsense. Did you get a good look at this man? He couldn't hurt a fly."

Hongjoong knew what was coming, but he had no way of stopping it.

"Unfortunately, that doesn't explain the thousands of dead he left behind after wiping out an entire island!"

Wooyoung was indeed brave, but this bordered on pure recklessness.

Hongjoong did not see Taemin's gaze darken, but he felt a distinct darkness wafting from him, San instantly alarmed and moving a little bit in front of Wooyoung.

"Beware, my friend. Some of my best friends were among the dead," his voice cut coldly through the air and Wooyoung laid back his feelers but did not dare argue anymore.

"Seonghwa is the only E27 that survived. He is the centre of all the hate, disgust and fear of those affected. Put yourself in his place for a moment. Unwillingly becoming a murderer, not dead as he wanted to be and hated by the world. He has no more beautiful of a role than any of you. How can you, mostly unaffected, despise him when he has accepted you for who you are?" Taemin's voice thundered angrily across the room and Hongjoong flinched a little, but it was still okay.

"He didn't hurt any of you, I see it in your memories. He was always good and kind, always so willing to repent. And this is how you thank him? Let him go if you don't deserve him."

Hongjoong's body trembled against his will, his human body stirred by the power of the alien at his side, and laboriously he put his arms tighter around himself.

"I want to see him."

Hongjoong nodded faintly towards the door outside.

"Second door on the left. Be so kind and knock."

Taemin stomped silently out of the room, but send a last reproachful look at Yeosang, which the man acknowledged with a silent nod.


	7. Lacuna

"I still don't trust him. E27 was barely two years ago, we can't possibly rely on him being completely purged."

"Wooyoung, Seonghwa has left this behind just like San or Mingi. It doesn't matter here. We don't curse anyone for who he was. That's not how this crew works." Hongjoong rubbed his temples again, stressed out, he had stopped counting how many times he had done it today.

"We are being hunted. Fighting now could be a fatal mistake that will affect not only Seonghwa. If your father gets his hands on us, I will end up in prison, you back home, San as a toy in your father's clutches, Yeosang probably dead, Hwa too, and the rest of us on the streets. We can't afford to be careless. Let's settle this like adults and leave as soon as possible."

Wooyoung still stared at him reluctantly from his seat, his djinn protecting him in his arms. The gloomy mood pressed down noticeably on the crew, doubt and stress scarred all their faces.

"You have heard Taemin. If he can forgive, so can we. Besides, I am under no spell", he gently appealed to their conscience, knowing full well that they had never known Seonghwa as a murderer. Only as their gentle, humming sleepwalker, who always got his tongue stuck between his teeth.

"Come, let's go see them. We can also settle this as a group, with Seonghwa here. Hopefully everyone is civilized enough by now not to pick on old traumas." Yunho took a meaningful look at Wooyoung, who in turn only frowned.

Hongjoong nodded in exhaustion, following their bleuwy out of the room.

"Maybe you should talk to them one at a time. I'm sure half of them would rather function as followers than actually have solid reasons to avoid him. Mingi misses him already." 

They exchanged a faint smile before Hongjoong entered the code to their door.

Inside, Taemin and Seonghwa sat as far away from each other as possible on the rumpled bed, their eyes fixed on each other. When Hongjoong and Yunho entered quietly, Seonghwa turned his head in relief, only to freeze again at the sight of Yunho. Nervously, he cramped his hands in his lap. Hongjoong felt Yunho tense helplessly.

"I wanted to kidnap him, but he wouldn't let me. He deserves better than a crew that would betray him," Taemin grumbled from his corner, his now white-clad figure casually draped over the bed.

Hongjoong's heart stuttered at his words in his chest and he hastily walked towards Seonghwa, pulling his head to his chest like the highest good. Seonghwa did not hesitate to lift his arms and place them around Hongjoong's hips, giving the same support back.

"Thanks for staying." His voice sounded stifled and rough in his throat. What would Hongjoong have done if Taemin had taken him away? Trembling, he dug his fingers deeper into Seonghwa's soft hair. 

"I belong to you, Hongjoong. You decide on my life, and if you want to end it for the protection of your crew, so be it."

Hongjoong abruptly retreated, staring down into Seonghwa's soft eyes.

"Seong-"

"The boy, Wooyoung. Do you know what his problem is?" Taemin interrupted them briefly, warned them with a glance to discuss these things privately. Yunho looked incredibly out of place.

Hongjoong left Seonghwa to allow the hesitant bleuwy access and he gently asked for permission at every touch, explaining to Seonghwa exactly what he was doing.

"No, tell us. We assumed it was simply his defensive instinct."

Taemin sat up darkly to cross his arms and Hongjoong leaned against the wall, doing the same. 

"As long as I'm here, no one will hear us, just for your information." Yeosang. Hongjoong nodded briefly.

"It may be that the lashunta is very sensitive, especially about protecting his friends. But this time, it is not the djinn he wants to protect. It is the other, his friend."

"Yeosang?"

Hongjoong did not doubt that Yunho and Seonghwa both listened intently, already trying to make sense of things.

"I know that he keeps his identity secret from you, and I won't reveal more than necessary, but his true form, the real, true figure, is missing something very central. His kind loses it at great loss and it cannot be recovered. It could have been his parents, his siblings, perhaps a loved one... But I'm sure he lost it there and Wooyoung knows all about it."

Hongjoong's mind was racing as his head tries to provide him with way too much information again, the missing parts in Yeosang's past. Yunho also looked like he was trying to guess Yeosang's nature, whereas Seonghwa had had doubts, but now it was finally confirmed that no, Yeosang was not human. They liked to forget that.

"I'm merely afraid that Yeosang has no idea of this motivation. At the moment the crew Seonghwa thinks that he is a villian because Wooyoung reacts like that without having more background information. No one likes to hear about a murderer on board. But the way it is Wooyoung only thinks of Yeosang, only of the effects this revelation might have on the life on board together. But Yeosang doesn't seem to have a problem."

Hongjoong doubtfully raised an eyebrow.

"You mean... Wooyoung is trying to defend Yeosang from something Yeosang doesn't care about? Classic communication problem?"

Taemin nodded, albeit slowly.

"So we have to get Yeosang to talk some sense into Wooyoung. And the rest of the crew not to mistrust Seonghwa."

Another nod.

Yunho patted Seonghwa's knee consolingly and it looked like he was in conflict with himself again. In principle, he had not done anything wrong, but now he had somehow, in reference to Yeosang.

"Charming of him to get angry without giving the right reason."

"To give the reason would mean exposing Yeosang. And he doesn't want that."

Hongjoong rubbed his eyes hard. 

"Okay, I'll think of something. Thanks for your help." he turned more firmly to Taemin and he gave him a bitter smile.

"I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for Seonghwa. Instead of protecting the treasure you carry with you, you willingly go against it. I had hoped that these all-too-human impulses had been lost over the years."

Hongjoong felt hot anger flaring up inside because he had defended Seonghwa, he would always be on Seonghwa's side, but Taemin was right. He had failed to avoid such fights.

"What kind of pirates would we be if the crew did not lock horns with each other and commit mutiny at least once?" Yunho's voice was soft, he had stood up again and looked at the ùi with a polite distance. He was not afraid of him, but he did not seem to approve of it either, being put in his place by the basically stranger.

Taemin just bowed his head politely and then disappeared into a cloud of darkness. Hongjoong promptly took a deep breath, as soon as he was gone. They were balancing over a dangerous line as far as ùi was concerned.

"It was he who knew me long before Pirate Island... Who watched me fall. He's something like you two for me or Yeo for Woo," Seonghwa explained quietly and Yunho smiled down at him only reassuringly. 

"He is right. We just have to act skillfully and things will clear up."

Hongjoong plumped down onto their bed with a sigh, his migraine a dull throb behind his eyes. 

"Then coordinate it a bit, alright? Wooyoung and Yeosang need to talk."

"Sure. What did I study that for? You just concentrate on our escape plans." Yunho grinned at him and then quietly left the room. Hongjoong closed his eyes, grumbling.

Seonghwa stayed in his corner and they shared the silence, each busy with his own thoughts on how to proceed.

Hongjoong could indeed address them all alone and drive Wooyoung far enough to despair that the man would hand over the central information. Or even talk with Seonghwa in a group, so that the others could realize what exactly they were doing wrong, who it was they were doubting.

And besides, they had to escape. Hilg was not an option and it was hard to calm an angry mob when you were locked up in a tight space with it. So it would be a good idea to find shelter somewhere, on a mostly peaceful island, and wait until their pursuers were no longer so close on their heels.

He could also...

Soft lips on his tore him from his thoughts. Shocked, he looked up at Seonghwa, into his familiar face with the long, dark lashes on his cheeks. Hongjoong wanted to stare at him in wonder for all eternity, but he did not, giving in to the sweet kiss of the other. 

They could make it all better again.


	8. Approach

Last night was a hazy memory for Hongjoong. Seonghwa's cool skin against his body, his back pressed against the nightwalker's chest and the man's gentle hands on his hips. Hongjoong's body vividly remembered the feeling of gentle teeth in his skin, the softness of his embrace.

Hongjoong sighed deeply into the pillows, completely relaxed and peaceful in his warm bed. When he opened his eyes, Seonghwa was at his side, if deep in the land of dreams. 

Hongjoong stared briefly at his nightwalker in wonder, then blinked sharply once, forming a fixed thought in his head.

He would sort this out now. Their constant dancing around each other had to stop. 

As quietly and determinedly as possible he swung his legs from the bed and got dressed, then scurried out of the room absolutely silently. It was already around noon, he had slept far too long, but the others were certainly already awake.

In fact, he met Mingi in the corridor outside, who looked so caught that Hongjoong assumed he had just been on his way to see them. The big amphibris grinned at him sunnily.

"Good morning, Captain!" 

Hongjoong had to grin as well, stepping a little closer to punch the other man greetingly on the shoulder.

"Hey. What are you doing sneaking around like you're up to a trick?"

"Honestly? I'm working as a double spy right now," he giggled conspiratorially in Hongjoong's direction and he immediately moved a bit closer, looking around suspiciously in the empty corridor.

"Yeah? How come?"

Mingi bent down a little (much) lower to be at about the same level as Hongjoong, one hand cupped around his mouth.

"I miss Seonghwa and you, but I also understand Wooyoung's point of view. But because I don't feel personally affected and only want to hang out with all of you, I'm going to start working as a middle figure now," he whispered in his deep, exhilarated voice and Hongjoong immediately imitated his pose.

"An excellent decision, pirate. Why don't you go and wait for me in the kitchen, I just need to have a quick word with Wooyoung."

Mingi's eyes grew large and he turned his head in surprise. Hongjoong could see his long, pointed canines and his slightly crooked front tooth through his slightly open lips.

Cute.

"You won't slaughter each other, right?"

"Please. I'll win hands down."

Behind the nearest door a muffled laughter could be heard and Mingi grinned amused at Yeosang's voice, absolutely unsuspecting.

Hongjoong, on the other hand, looked at the door in suspicion.

"Fine, I'll make you coffee, as a prize." Mingi nodded once and then scampered to the next wall with the grace of a giant alien, paying attention to his sharp back ridge as he glided along it to reach the kitchen. Hongjoong watched as he rolled into the room in an absolutely professional manner and a startled squeaking sound of Jongho could be heard, then he shook his head and set off again.

He felt the same way. The cleft between them disturbed him.

It was San who opened when Hongjoong knocked timidly at Wooyoung's door and he apologized immediately, leaving the two alone. With a cuddly toy in his arms, he wandered down the hall, letting the door slide shut behind him. Hongjoong let himself fall onto the bed next to the tense lashunta with a sigh, pinching his cheek weakly.

"You must tell me what you think, Woo. I know you don't want to lose Seonghwa and have no personal stake in his past. Is it because he's a nightwalker? We can work on it, San did it too."

Wooyoung made a muttering sound and let himself fall backwards into his pillows, buried himself in the mountains of soft cloth from blankets and San's cuddly toys. For a long moment he pressed the ball of his hand into his eyes in silence, then he let his arms fall to his sides, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"It is not about me. It's about Yeosang."

Wooyoung looked tired, tired and worn out. Hongjoong doubted the ashunta was thinking about Yeosang listening in.

Taemin had been right, though.

"Yeo never said anything about family, and I... I got curious, you know? I went looking for them."

Hongjoong already knew where this was heading and nervously bit his lip, slipping closer to the limp man.

"I didn't find them if you think so. But there was something else. They had left him something, on Pirate Island. Something that was destroyed, by the E27. I was so close, Cap. So close but then- It's irreplaceable."

Hongjoong listened intently, eyes glued on Wooyoung's face. Outside, everything was quiet.

"I blamed myself for so long for not looking for it earlier, for not being faster, all those things. But how can you be angry with the dead, right? But Seonghwa, he... he was in charge, he was in command. And he didn't stop it. And has no idea what he had actually done," he said into the room in a broken tone, not daring to look at him.

"It's only fair that I wanted to kill him, isn't it? He killed Yeosang."

Hongjoong tasted blood when his blunt teeth finally pierced his lip, he felt abruptly back on earth.

Wooyoung's words were not just like a punch in the stomach or a gush of cold water. He might as well have taken Hongjoong's head off his shoulder.

Everything inside him contracted into an unpleasant knot.

Protect Yeosang.

"I know how much you want to protect him, I know it," Hongjoong managed to choke out, trying not to let it show how much his hands were shaking. "But Seonghwa knows exactly what he has ruined. How many lives he has ended, no matter how. Maybe he didn't know in detail, but- Seonghwa deeply regrets it, Wooyoung. Seonghwa hates himself for it. And Seonghwa would willingly walk into a blade if it meant Yeosang would get revenge. So please... You must be careful with him or we might lose him altogether. We don't want that."

Wooyoung sat up, dark shadows under his eyes and his feelers hanging loosely around his face. 

"If I had killed Seonghwa... wouldn't you hate me too?"

"Not if you had no choice. Not if you did it in false faith. But that thing on the bridge a few days ago? For that, yes."

Wooyoung looked at him in silence - or rather through him - and then sighed deeply. 

"Yeosang has-"

"What do I have?"

Hongjoong almost jumped out of his skin, banging his knee roughly against Wooyoung's when he flinched. With wide eyes, he turned to Yeosang, ready to complain, but he fell silent as soon as he saw the other man.

The door had never opened and yet Yeosang stood before them as if he had never left. But he looked angry, absolutely furious. Every single one of his gentle, balanced features was distorted with fiery rage and his disturbingly dark eyes were dangerous.

Wooyoung was on his feet in a single bound, walking towards his friend with his hands raised reassuringly. 

"Hey, you said you wouldn't do that anymore. You needn't be angry. This is about my thoughts. If you can handle it, it's none of your business."

"Wooyoung you attacked a man with a knife! A crew member! A friend! And for what? Not some twisted sense of justice and protection as we all think, but because of me?!" His voice was also upset and shrill, breaking here and there from the rough treatment. 

Restlessly, Hongjoong also came to his feet, lost for the moment.

"You knew I would react like this! Under no circumstances did you not know that!"

"You can't attack good people because of me, Wooyoung! I'm the only one who might have a problem with this and I obviously don't!"

"Excuse me for taking care of my friends? You? He took your life, Yeo!

"It's not like I ever had it, I feel great! You're not helping me by killing my friends!" 

Hongjoong was so lost. What even was Yeosang now? It would probably help to understand the situation. But knowing that Yeosang... that Yeosang was dead, Yunho could probably work with it.

"I've asked you to do one thing! To leave my life alone, my past, my family, my ways. Why can't you do it, Wooyoung?! Why destroy a good man for something that is already taken?!"

"You may have forgiven him, but not me!" Wooyoung threatened to get even closer to Yeosang, almost went nose to nose with him. "He ruined so much! He took everything from you! You know how I felt about you, hoping for years! It was him who-"

Hongjoong flinched as Yeosang's flat hand made contact with Wooyoung's cheek, hurling his head away. It was clearly time to go, but they were both at the door and-

Tensely he continued to observe, continued to chew on his lip.

"That was years ago and we both accepted it, Wooyoung. You have San now, I'm happy with my life. Don't you dare dig up those old things. That was between us, it has nothing to do with Seonghwa."

Wooyoung held his cheek, his betrayed eyes on Yeosang's face, but he seemed cooled down, clear in his head again. Yeosang's voice had also dropped to a warning whisper.

Hongjoong knew that it was definitely time to leave when the first tears started rolling down Wooyoung's cheeks. He hardly waited until Yeosang stepped towards the other one to enclose him in a soft embrace, then he already scurried past them, fled.


	9. Tremor

"I think things should get better soon. Yeosang and Wooyoung are talking things over." Hongjoong warmed his hands sighing on his coffee, had curled up on the bench across from Mingi. The amphibris played thoughtfully with one hand on his broken horn, carefully scraping off sharp edges with sharp claws.

"Can I ask you something, Cap?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"You don't have... more people... ...except Seonghwa, do you?"

Confused, Hongjoong cocked his head, trying to read his friend's insecure eyes. 

"What do you mean more? He's not my first boyfriend, if that's what you're asking."

Mingi shook his head vehemently, the greenish skin around his scales blushing. He searched for words, silently formed them with his lips for a moment before deciding.

"I mean simultaneously. Are you involved with anyone but Seonghwa at the moment?"

Surprised, Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. Where did that idea come from?

"No, I'm not. I'm not the type. Why do you ask?"

Mingi nervously drove his fingers through his fiery red hair, just messing up his wild curls.

"Jongho said..." He left the sentence unfinished, just waving his hand helplessly. Hongjoong had to laugh, reaching out to the confused amphibris to affectionately tousle his hair.

"Ah, that's why? Jongho is a funny guy, don't listen to him. For him it may be usual, but not for me. I don't think that-" Hongjoong fell silent when the lights suddenly flickered above them and then went out abruptly. A long second of silence passed, with Hongjoong just waiting silently, hoping for an explanation.

Then everything happened too suddenly.

Next to them the door slipped open and Yunho stood in the almost dark room, his yellow eyes glowing unpleasantly in the darkness. He barely managed to restrain himself in the door frame when a violent jolt went through the Sunrise, tilting the whole room for a moment. Hongjoong hit his head against the wall and a sharp hissing could be heard from Mingis sides, too.

"Yunho, what's going on here?!", Hongjoong turned to the other one in shock when the room levelled out again, Hongjoong getting up suspiciously. His fingers no longer left the wall.

"They caught up with us!"

Cursing, Hongjoong followed Yunho to the door while Mingi hurried to get his cup to safety, pausing at the sink for a moment. The lights slowly flickered again, but it was only the dim blue emergency lights, pale and faint. 

Mingi followed them hastily, giggling breathlessly to himself.

"Huh, Cap, there was a sea horse in the sink."

"Mingi, there's no time for jokes. Can you get the others? Tell them to bring weapons."

Mingi rushed off, laughing softly into himself every now and then.

On the bridge there was already San, Aurora in one, Shiber (his cuddly toy) in the other arm and his eyes reluctantly turned to the other door. Behind it there were noises, men's voices and the barking of dogs. Claws on Seonghwa's holy ground.

"San- maybe a prince?"

"Aye, Cap." 

San threw off his layers, slipped effortlessly into those of a prince, and his shining light illuminated the bridge the next moment. Hongjoong sent Aurora out with Shiber.

Yunho already had his weapon with him, a simple stun gun that Yeosang had built for him. He did not want to hurt anyone. Most of them did not want to, but the enemy did not give them any sympathy points.

Mingi joined them with Wooyoung, announcing for a moment that Yeosang was waiting for the moment of surprise and Seonghwa had not heard them. The group spread out across the room, with San as the shining star in their midst.

Mingi carried an axe with him, but seemed to rely more on his claws and tricks than on the weapon, which in case of doubt only injured himself anyway. Hongjoong grabbed his two pistols, exact counterparts through whose veins blue energies flowed.

Wooyoung had pulled out his knives and they waited, gave themselves a breathless moment before Hongjoong quietly ordered the Sunrise to open the door, hopefully avoiding the worst damage.

The enemy had only waited for this.

It was a hissing Naga who slid towards them first, deadly fast and all six arms equipped with treacherous sickles. He passed Yunho, who promptly shot him in the back while Mingi was still jumping away from the whirling blades.

There was no time to watch the naga fall. While San mercilessly kept the blinded nightwalkers from entering, wolves were already rushing forward, taking all kinds of dangerous creatures with them.

Hongjoong did not have the time to pay attention to the others, defended himself with all means and only lunged in their direction when someone cried for help or warned him of something. Seonghwa would absolutely kill them when he saw the condition of the room later, but for now they were supposed to survive. Otherwise, Seonghwa had nothing more to kill.

The time faded away as well as the mass of creatures in front of Hongjoong's eyes, everyone fought stubbornly for their lives and forgot their further environment. 

When Yeosang finally entered the fighting, he came from behind the enemies, cornered them and as a group they quickly managed to end the whole thing. Their ground was lined with more or less living bodies.

"Give me an update." 

Hongjoong forced his jaws to relax again, put a pistol away and, exhausted and wiped a trickle of blood from above his brow. The crew breathed for a moment, finally walking suspiciously among the fallen.

"They hold ontp us. To get away, we'd have to get inside their ship and shut down the technology. Otherwise, we can expect an endless supply of bastards on this ship." Yeosang threw his hair out of his face.

Hongjoong cursed quietly, then looked around among their friends. Everyone who had been here before... How could they not have waken Seonghwa up?

San became himself again while Hongjoong was still counting silently.

"Has anyone seen Jongho?"

Searching glances, then helpless looks.

"I don't think he was in the room," Yunho reluctantly helped out and Hongjoong just nodded. Then everything was fine.

"Alright, guys. You start throwing our friends off here. I'll go wake up Seonghwa and look for Jongho. Then we'll meet here and put together a team to go free us."

The crew dispersed, dancing over bodies, and Yunho quietly began to ask everyone if they were okay. Some of them had minor injuries, but it was nothing too dramatic Yeosang's poisons worked with a frightening speed.

Hongjoong once again thought that it was a bad idea to underestimate their absolutely boring, two-dimensional friend. He might be the most dangerous one in here.

Hongjoong let his wrists circle while he was on his way to Seoghwa's room, just raising his hand to enter their code, when the door to the bridge opened behind him once more.

Wooyoung stood there, eyebrows drawn together and trickling dark blood from his sleeve across his fingers.

"Hey, Cap, I just-"

A jerk similar to the one before went through their ship again and both men stumbled unhindered through the corridor. Hongjoong clumsily caught himself with an elbow on the other wall, Wooyoung banged his head hard. For a moment everything was crooked again, then the Sunrise calmed down again immediately. Hongjoong crawled busily to a whimpering Wooyoung.

Together they held his head, which Hongjoong then checked for major damage. When he did not find any, he sat by the side of the other for a moment, waiting, then his eyes found Yunho, who had just burst through the door.

"They let go!"

Hongjoong frowned sceptically.

"Just like that? They've only just caught us. Don't tell me we decimated their crew so successfully that they just gave up." That would be cool, but highly unlikely.

"Their hangar is in an uproar, people are screaming everywhere, I don't think it was on purpose! Either they have a technical problem, or there was a mistake with the orders! Either way, we can get the hell out of here right now!"

"Sounds great, we'll do just that."

Hongjoong barely waited until Yunho was out of the door, then he already jumped to his feet, hurrying over to the door of his and Seobghwa'Seonghwa' with trembling hands.

"Technical problem, as if..." He cursed and started again when he slipped.

"You think it's something else?"

"How many people here know about fleet ships and think they have to make amends?" 

The door opened and revealed nothing but yawning emptiness. As much as Hongjoong had prepared for this, his heart still contracted. 

With a distorted grimace on his face, he turned to Wooyoung, who was kneeling behind him, his eyes wide and empty directed towards the dark room.

"Now, listen to me carefully. You, my friend, will help me to get out of here unnoticed. Then you will have worked off your debt."

Wooyoung just looked up at him with big, black eyes and shook his head in panic.

"You can't-"

"Oh, I can."


	10. Alone

Time was of the essence and Hongjoong gave Wooyoung no room for discussions.

"You will explain to the others. I'll get Seonghwa and join you, we'll keep in touch. Until then I want you to find a safe place. I'm counting on you," he spoke quickly to the reluctant lashunta, strapping a belt with ammunition and other toys that he and Yeosang had built around his waist.

"Cap..."

Wooyoung looked uncertain. He knew it was now his job to protect the crew, he also had Yeosang and San who needed him, but Hongjoong could see it in his eyes how much he wanted to save and forgive Seonghwa himself. But that was not what this was all about.

"I know how to better handle him. You'll be fine." Hongjoong slipped into his leather jacket and then took a quick step towards Wooyoung. He hugged the other man for a moment, patting his back.

"I'll be back. Don't you dare break anything."

His hand slipped off the other man's tense shoulder as Hongjoong made his way down the aisle. Wooyoung stayed behind.

They were still close below the ship when Hongjoong stepped out onto their outer deck, both parties still had not made a move. Hongjoong's eyes scanned the ship for a moment, then he found the still open entrance through which their attackers must have come. 

Skilfully his fingers slipped over fasteners and sturdy leather as he tightened the belt further around his thighs, then reached for the magnetic hook at his side. 

He already felt sorry for his back.

He threw the hook high up, towards the entrance and found a hold somewhere, the insulated wire rope stretched between him and the enemy. With a last sigh, Hongjoong grabbed it with both hands and began to work his way up.

Hongjoong was thankful that the wind was not blowing too much right now, that it did not disturb his dangling legs too much, but he couldn not wait to reach for the edge of the ship a few meters higher. Hongjoong liked to climb, but Hongjoong did not like hanging in the open air.

So he swung himself over the edge into the ship and released his hook again before he barricaded the door to the outside. The Sunrise seemed to be already moving away and he lost sight of her completely after the grey metal behind him had slipped shut.

Now, to work.

He was on an A-405, a typical hunting ship of the fleet and at least they were still halfway overseeable. They were smaller, set for speed and the bridge was never hard to find. Hongjoong had even been allowed to visit one of them on a class trip once in what felt like another lifetime.

On top of that, it was now relatively empty after half the crew was on the floor of the Sunrise, so he should be able to find his way around.

Seonghwa had to be on the bridge. Or had been, they surely had not let him leave from there just like that. Hongjoong had to move carefully. He had no doubt that there were still enough people on board to take out Seonghwa.

To the left, there went down a corridor to the crew quarters and storage rooms. A staircase led down to the engine room. On the right, first the infirmary was located, then the corridor turned off.

Hongjoong pulled out both pistols and walked to the right.

It was quiet in the ship, only distant machines and people could be heard and Hongjoong encountered more peaceful robots than he could make out voices. Arriving at his corner, he carefully peered down into another, dreary white corridor, small mouse-like robots scurrying wildly around his feet.

Halfway back there was another intersection. Hongjoong suspected more rooms to his left and further back, to the right it could only go to the bow of the ship.

Hongjoong slowly moved forward, his ears pricked up and every muscle tensed to react immediately. He avoided two passing soldiers and a guard robot.

Long, nerve-racking minutes later, he could finally get a look at the bridge. There were already more people here, at least 8 different creatures manning their control consoles. Hongjoong could recognize the captain by his hat - why did Hongjoong not have an extravagant hat? - as he animatedly spoke to a lashunta.

Not a Seonghwa in sight. But instead the control panels for all kinds of docking facilities. He must have been here. The level of ignorance in the room also suggested that they had already taken care of him.

Pondering, Hongjoong retreated, scurrying away into a dark corner again. If they had locked Seonghwa up, only the captain could have a key. But where did they get out of here then? Did it even help him at that moment to carry a possibly seriously injured Seonghwa around with him?

Hongjoong groped for his communicator, now combined with his anti-helix piercing. With a brief look into the empty corridors he called the Sunrise.

"Hongjoong!", somebody hissed immediately suppressedly and a smile automatically flashed across his face. For once it was not Seonghwa who scolded him.

"Hey. Are you still close enough to the ship to scan it? Or did Yeo take precautions?"

Yunho started to vent his anger at first, but a gentle clap was heard, then Yeosang's deep voice spoke to Hongjoong's ear.

"I've taken precautions. You're flying towards a central ship, you should reach it soon. You'd better get out of there first, but you don't have a beamer."

And Hongjoong's small portable one only helped one person, damn it.

"What ship doesn't have a beamer these days? We have a beamer."

"Ships that expect escaping prisoners. Have you found Seonghwa?"

Hongjoong mumbled something under his breath and then explained his concern. They remained silent for a moment.

"You will have to wait until you arrive. You just have to find him before they lock him up there because that's too much for you too, Cap," Yeosang then reported softly and Hongjoong just nodded, eyes attentive to a few shadows down the hall.

"Then I'll look for him now and see what the situation is. We will find a way."

"Mingi wants me to tell you that he misses you. And San has confessed his love, so come back safely."

Hongjoong had to smile again, then skilfully started flitting down the hall again.

"Understood, we'll return safe and sound for Mingi who misses us and San who loves us," he teased them gently and protests promptly erupted, but he switched off the device with a benevolent grin, then looked around the hallway again.

Next, he could try the cells. 

On his way back down the corridor, Hongjoong glanced through the small window in the door to the sick bay. Inside, several people lay laid out, no Seonghwa in sight, only people who had probably crossed Seonghwa's path before. 

Hongjoong entertained himself with the thought of a frightened crew when suddenly his pretty nightwalker stood behind them. They had probably stared at him in wonder for too long to react, that must have been it.

Still...

What was Seonghwa thinking? Was he planning to return or was he planning to turn himself in? Was he expecting Hongjoong to come after him? He would be reckless if he did not.

Hongjoong scurried past one of the closed doors once more, a broom closet, as he suspected. It was written on the door in no language he knew. A reading tattoo in his eyes would not be a bad idea. Not only did all the aliens write differently, they also used different methods and colors, which the humans found difficult to understand. 

He had just passed the door when it suddenly opened behind him and he saw a black shadow twitching out.

The uniforms of the fleet were black.

Hongjoong immediately drove around, firing, but his arm was slashed aside by a powerful blow at the last moment. Under the uniform was something that had human form, but definitely more strength. Hongjoong did not see much under the hat, but that did not stop him from raising his second hand.

He almost gave a howl when the figure grabbed him by both wrists and dragged him into the dark room, pressing him roughly against the closed door. Skillful fingers wrestled both pistols from him and the figure managed to press both of his wrists against cold metal in a relentless grip above his head. 

Hongjoong stepped out, throwing himself wildly back and forth until the figure was forced to press his entire body against him to restrict his movements. Hongjoong tried to reach the attacker's neck with his teeth, but failed across the board.

"Stop resisting, idiot, it's me," the man then muttered in a deep dialect in his ear and Hongjoong froze completely, feeling his knees weaken.

He squeezed his eyes together in the darkness, looked closer once more and could now actually make out familiar features in the twilight. Seonghwa stood over him and as if his body suddenly became aware of it, his shoulders suddenly slumped down and he melted against the other's sturdy form.

"Nice uniform you have there."

Seonghwa might have build himself up a little more in front of him, making Hongjoong feel even smaller and more defenseless. His heart was singing.

"I'll leave it on long enough for you to rip it off me later, huh?"

"Good idea."


	11. Delay

As much as Hongjoong would have loved to simply enjoy Seonghwa's closeness in this narrow closet for a while, this was neither the right time nor the right place for it. So he just innocently allowed himself to hold Seonghwa's hips, their bodies pressed together while he explained their position to the nightwalker.

"I heard someone say we'd be at the mothership around noon. That's in about 10 minutes." Seonghwa looked around the room, unwillingly drawing in his dark eyebrows.

"Seonghwa."

"Hmm?"

"I have something to ask you... Before we sink into the chaos of escape."

This caught the nightwalker's attention again and rough hands instantly found Hongjoong's, intertwining their fingers tenderly. Hongjoong drew strength from the trusting gesture, found Seonghwa's gaze.

"When you came here, did you plan to come back? To the Sunrise?" His breath was stuck in his throat as Seonghwa's eyelids fluttered surrenderingly, hiding his dark eyes from Hongjoong.

"I did. I planned to return and beg Wooyoung on my knees to forgive me. In front of all of you. And if he hadn't, l'd have left. Without you, Hongjoong," he confessed in a whisper and a tortured whimper rose up Hongjoong's throat. He grasped Seonghwa's hands tighter, held him close to him and needed his proximity as confirmation.

"He has already forgiven you, Hwa. He was concerned about Yeosang and he sorted it out. Woo wanted to come for you personally."

Seonghwa leaned forward with a sigh, brought his hat out of its original position and pressing his forehead against the Hongjoong's to lean heavily on him. Hongjoong barely tilted his head to leave a chaste little kiss on the lips of the other.

"Live, alright? If not for me, then so that Wooyoung can apologize properly. Mingi misses you. San loves you. Everyone's waiting for you to come back."

Seonghwa drank the words up with a relieved sound, it seemed to sink in well. A few seconds passed and then a peaceful smile glided across his face. 

"I love you, Kim Hongjoong, you know that, right?"

Hongjoong's cheeks glowed in the semi-darkness and, shyly turning his head away, he refused to move further away from Seonghwa.

"Not the right moment, Hwa, we are on an enemy ship and everything," he mumbled into his shoulder around his silly grin, feeling soft kisses fluttering over his cheekbones.

"What, I'm not allowed to love you then?"

"This is not the right moment to tell me that! You know I want to press you against the nearest flat surface right then and there!"

Seonghwa laughed softly, straightening his hat. Hongjoong's eyes hung spellbound on his hands, his body in the elegant black cloth with golden ornaments.

"I will remind you later. We'll be busy anyway, uniform and all." Seonghwa winked at him cheekily and Hongjoong delivered a slap on the other man's chest. Sighing, he parted from his boyfriend again, his arms crossed in front of his body.

"Yeah, we did. Now let's come up with a real plan."

-

In fact, not much later they reached the mothership and docked in its hangar. Seonghwa had told Hongjoong that no, they had not noticed his presence on the ship and thought he had left after his attack. So nobody knew anything about him and Hongjoong here, which at least made their escape a little easier.

So the soldiers of their ship took the wounded from the ship, while Hongjoong and Seonghwa held out, their ears pricked up. The captain was the last to leave the ship, complained angrily about his failure to one of the crew members and was already thinking about how he should explain this to his superior. And who was then probably going to tell Wooyoung's father.

The two held out until the last minute, until absolute silence spread and then scurried through the ship, Hongjoong camouflaged in one of Seonghwa's illusions. They might not be as beautiful as Sans form, but hopefully it was enough to get to the beamer unharmed. And then get out of here.

In fact, everything went suspiciously well at first, they crossed the hangar hidden between planes and then scurried through corridors that Seonghwa knew like the back of his hand.

Every now and then they would slip into dark corner when a group of soldiers passed through them and they would stand pressed close together with Hongjoong's breath erratic on Seonghwa's neck.

They listened to the beings who passed by unsuspectingly with pricked ears, picking up all the gossip.

Until they were almost at the beam system and two viera ladies in white dresses stopped them.

"If he escapes again, we must stun him. The boy has incredible strength. No one knows where he gets this trident from, how are we going to take it from him?", one whispered anxiously, her little nose twitching and Hongjoong exchanged a worried look with Seonghwa.

It had indeed been a strangely long time since he had seen Jongho.

Reluctantly, he grabbed his communicator, called the ship. Seonghwa leaned his head against the smaller one's shoulder, their ears close together to listen.

"Cap! Did you find Seonghwa?", someone asked quietly - at least they thought along - through the piercing and Seonghwa hummed a muffled answer that made everyone squeal a bit joyfully.

"Boys, is Jongho with you? On board?"

A brief silence followed, Hongjoong could picture them exchanging confused looks.

"Uhh, we're honestly not sure? No one has really seen him lately. Yeosang just said he's not there- Yeosang, man, you could have said that earlier."

In the background, a quiet 'nobody listens to me anyway' was heard and Seonghwa hid a grin in Hongjoong's neck when he sighed in a heavy breath.

"Alright, here it sounded suspiciously like he has just run into the fleet. Guess we'll pick him up."

He hung up, then turned to Seonghwa. He raised a perfect eyebrow while waiting.

"What, you're really just going to storm into this prison?"

"Yup."

"What an idiot. I'm in."

Hongjoong smiled infectiously at him, then discreetly looked around the empty hall.

"Okay, shall we be the two viera from before? It's easier to hide the flickering with fur. We'll go in, set him free and let him smash everything to bits. Good plan, isn't it?" Hongjoong counted up, barely blinking, then he was already a tall, slender creature on risky heels, clumsily catching himself on Seonghwa's shoulders. 

He was now taller than Seonghwa by a good measure. What a blessing from heaven.

"How about different shoes?"

"What a handsome viera you are." Seonghwa made him a little smaller through the shoes, but Hongjoong could still look down on him, feeling his waist completely enclosed by Seonghwa's hands.

"Don't you dare kiss that woman, or you'll sleep at Mingi's for a week."

"Have you ever thought about how San could be a perfect copy of me? You'd be screwed, Hongjoong." His eyes were dark and the matching grin was even darker, whispering dark promises. Hongjoong almost felt pushed back by his eyes alone, but stood his viera.

"Shut up. Wooyoung would have some complaints. Moreover, this is not me as a viera, but another person. Argument invalid."

Seonghwa just laughed softly and then also transformed himself, still looking suspiciously as if he wanted to make them both kiss in these forms for a long moment. Luckily, he changed his mind, otherwise Hongjoong would have had to kick him.

Together they stepped out of their invisibility, down the passage in the direction the two women had come from. Seonghwa's movements were fluent and smooth and while Hongjoong understood in principle how to walk in these legs, it did not mean that it worked that way.

But apparently they looked natural enough that nobody questioned them.

"How did Jongho end up here?"

"Really? Not a clue. The last time I saw him was sometime during the fighting, he wasn't there when we were attacked. Did he fall off the boat?"

"Maybe they accidentally kidnapped him and tried to lure us."

"Bad idea, he'll get free on his own."

In total ease, they wandered down the corridor, found the cell block in no time.

They were not even asked, just snuck in, barely meeting the glances of the two guarding naga.

"All right. Let's go and shut that kid up." Seonghwa had two guards accompany him as he walked down the block, trying not to look too much as if he had no idea where Jongho was.

Meanwhile Hongjoong unobtrusively slipped his hands under his dress, palpating his pistols by his thighs as usual.

Time to create a little chaos.


	12. Unplanned

For the beginning Hongjoong had expected an energetic war cry, maybe the sound of a door being ripped out of its hinges. Less so with a surprised naga with wide open eyes that came flying over his head. But who was Hongjoong to complain? He could not stem a naga.

He ducked a little anyway, fired into the guy's exposed side and then raised his eyes just in time to see the other one getting thrown at him as well. Same procedure.

They both crashed to the ground somewhere behind him, entangled in their long snake halves and within seconds they both went out like lights. Hongjoong looked from them contentedly forward, down the cell block where Jongho was now standing, fresh and alert. He had one arm lying around Seonghwa's middle in amazement, could probably have hugged the viera's narrow hip twice and the nightwalker laughed at something the other had said. Hongjoong joined them.

"Ohoho, another one of those, huh? The originals wouldn't come near me." He put his free arm around Hongjoong, as soon as he was close enough, greeted them both with his familiar body warmth. Hongjoong felt incredibly thin and fragile at his side, even though Jongho's grip had always been a safety feature.

"I mean, one little move from you and every bone in their bodies is smashed. I understand the concern." Hongjoong patted the other's strong shoulder in greetings.

"Okay, so how do we get out of here? I guess the repressors are too strong for San's magic, huh?"

"Correct, but don't you want to tell us how you got in here first?"

Jongho gave Hongjoong a disapproving look, did not appreciate being questioned. 

"I fell off the boat and landed on one of their ships, so there you have it."

"You didn't fall off or anything? You just... held on?" Not that he did not think Jongho could do it, but that was auite impressive.

The other man strengthened his powerful grip around Hongjoong's hip, pulling him tightly against his body for a moment. Hongjoong let him do it, leaning on the other man's shoulder with a gentle hand.

"Listen, leader, can we discuss this somewhere else? They know I'm out of here and it's hardly the time to ask me why I wanted to live instead of falling somewhere in the sky." He pressed his fingers into Hongjoong's side in warning, exchanged a cautious look with Seonghwa, who had raised his brow no less questioningly.

"Besides, you two would be screwed without me anyway, so please appreciate my presence more."

Hongjoong tapped him amusedly on the head, was immediately released so that their youngest could reach for the spot in protest. Seonghwa also pulled back from him.

"Yes, yes, you great hero. Let's just go home, huh?" Affectionately, Seonghwa ran his hand through his hair, then dropped it to reveal another viera. Man, if a rabbit did not go well with Jongho. Why was he not a rabbit?

With eyes wide open, Jongho took a step on his seemingly endless legs and immediately crumpled into Seonghwa's side. He burst out laughing in soft giggles just at the border to nasty.

Of course he had given Jongho the high boots first.

"Oh, heavens, could you-" Wobbly like a newborn foal, Jongho held himself upright on Seonghwa, who looked down at him with great satisfaction and a smirk. Hongjoong watched them amused.

Seonghwa said not a word, just grinning triumphantly as soon as Jongho was safely on his feet again and then they both turned to Hongjoong.

"All right. We'll go back to the beaming system and hurry out of here. I think it's great to be at Seonghwa's height for once, but this much leg are driving me crazy."

Jongho nodded with his eyes still wide, grasping uncertainly at the long ears on his head. 

"Seem natural. Let's go."

The two followed as they made their way back down the hall, passing their two deep-sleeping naga friends.

Outside, the escape began again, albeit in a lessened form, as they had to keep up their facade after all. Announcements above them bleated warnings in artificial voices about Jongho's escape, describing his appearance and skills. It couldn't be long before they had located them as foreign bodies and then all hell would break loose.

Hongjoong kept between Jongho and Seonghwa, listening to the announcements and avoiding soldiers as they hurried through the corridors. After all, they were expecting only one person, not three.

Seonghwa knew some secret paths, led them around alarmed groups of soldiers and still hurriedly continued towards the beamer. He even made the trick of covering a harmless woman with Jonghos appearance while passing by, tricking the soldiers onto a wrong track.

"They've probably locked up the beamers already, Hongjoong, can you fix them?", Seonghwa muttered to him as he walked, thinking of himself as a good, helpless viera, always anxious to look around when soldiers passed them. 

"I can." Hongjoong felt for his ear. "Yeo? You hack in too."

"Sure they won't call for backup sooner? I'm pretty busy, you know?"

In the distance, their target room came into view and the speakers still searched for the fake Jongho. The poor woman must be completely confused. Hongjoong prayed that the soldiers here would ask first and then shoot.

"Oh, great. A reception committee. We don't wait, go in and straight to the Sunrise. Yeo has you."

Hongjoong looked up at the gathered group of armed soldiers of all races that filled the room and just sighed deeply.

The next step was to step out of their disguises. Now there was no point in playing hide and seek anyway.

The soldiers still took an embarrassingly long time to become aware of them and just as the first ones did, the lights above them went out, plunging the ship into a windowless darkness.

"Hey! What are you doing?! I thought we had nightwalkers to stop this?!", an angry shout was heard in the crowd and Hongjoong suppressed a grin. They certainly did. But they had no Seonghwa.

"We're working on it!" It came from somewhere else and Hongjoong finally raised his guns, fired the first shots into the dark crowd. It was not hard to hit them.

A cool hand touched his neck, tapping it for a moment. Hongjoong let his fingers glide over the nightwalker's, then they parted, plunged into the angry crowd.

Not far from them Jongho was already causing the greatest possible damage, wildly throwing people away and making a violent breach through the swaying masses. Seonghwa merged seamlessly with the rest, people falling around him here and there, but he easily worked his way through rather skilfully while everyone was focused on Jongho.

Hongjoong tried to keep an eye on everything, keeping everyone at bay and working diligently through the confused crowd. Weapons clanked, angry voices shouted, bodies hit the ground dull.

The beam system lit up once and from the sudden absence of flying people Hongjoong concluded that this was Jongho's doing. He shot a cursing bangaa.

The crowd did not know where to go and several other shots were fired as they lunged helplessly at everything, but soon the guns were removed for the safety of their own men. 

"We'll send a fenris, stay calm, recruits, keep an eye on your surroundings," it came from a loudspeaker and Hongjoong was almost there, he saw the blue glow of energy shimmering in the beamer on Seonghwa's straight nose.

"There! There is one!"

Seonghwa threw himself around to defend himself, but he was already so close, it could only be a matter of seconds before Yeosang took him away from there. Hongjoong squeezed through the crowd more quickly, only firing in an emergency to remain inconspicuous. His heart was racing badly, suffering in constant fear of feeling the deadly jaws of a fenris around his neck.

A hand roughly grabbed him by his upper arm, tore him around and blindly he fired, right at the head of the other. At that point their weapons killed instantly.

Cursing, Hongjoong tightened his trembling hands even more around the handles of his weapons, stormed further forward and there was the semi-circle in which Seonghwa stood, just raising his hand to the beamer. Blue rays touched his fingers and began to pull him as he turned once more to Hongjoong, checking on him.

He was close enough. He could stretch out his hand and Seonghwa did the same, dropping the last man between them. 

A fleeting smile grazed the nightwalker's face as their fingers aligned, not quite touching each other, and Hongjoong took the final step towards him.

And Seonghwa's eyes fell on his arm. For a brief moment he froze, his face unreadable in the darkness, but then his golden eyes widened, flicking panickedly to those of Hongjoong.

Pale blue, the light of the beamer illuminated him.

And he withdrew his hand from its saving rays.

"Hongjoong, your arm, that-!"

But it was already too late.

While Hongjoong still wondered confusedly why Seonghwa had hesitated, the tiny bomb on his arm detonated, making his world sink into a wall of bright white pain.


	13. Fear

Hongjoong opened his eyes to a dreary white ceiling, looking u p at it numbly for a moment.

Then he noticed how strangely light he felt.

With a jerk he sat upright and looked down at himself, at his unclothed torso, with metal shimmering here and there down to his trousers, no shoes. His weapon belt had disappeared.

Hectically he looked around the room, expecting to discover himself trapped in a cell in the middle of a fleet ship, but this was his dull white ceiling, his room. Well, his and Seonghwa's.

Relieved, he breathed out. They had managed to get out. Seonghwa must have gotten them through to the beamer at last. Right after- Ah, it had exploded.

Hongjoong turned his eyes to his shoulder, feeling no pain there but still afraid of what he might see.

But the fear was not enough to prepare him for the actual sight.

His arm was-

There was no arm.

It was gone. 

Around his shoulder stretched only pale flesh, healed and smooth, but there was no arm.

Stunned, Hongjoong stared at his left shoulder, his head absolutely blank. Not a single thought came to him, not a single reaction, and his vision blurred as he completely lost focus.

Frozen, he sat in the room, staring into nothingness for an indefinite time.

He might have fallen asleep, he lost the memories of those minutes completely, but when the door opened with a hissing sound, he snapped back into his head.

And his first reaction was to frantically reach for the blanket, to hide.

Seonghwa stood in the door, had stopped moving after seeing that Hongjoong was awake and now his tortured eyes finally found the other man. And he saw all the hesitation, the naked fear in Hongjoong's eyes.

"Seo-Seonghwa." 

His voice sounded strange in his own ears, so scratchy and unfamiliar that he wondered how long he had actually been asleep.

Seonghwa hesitated for a long moment, then stepped in carefully, sinking to his knees next to Hongjoong's bed. Wordlessly they stared at each other, Hongjoong's head still empty.

"My arm."

"I'm sorry, Hongjoong."

Hongjoong knew somewhere that it was not Seonghwa's fault. But the confusion of why the man apologized, feeling the need to appease him never reached him.

"Where did it go?"

Seonghwa lifted his trembling hands to him, and Hongjoong vaguely noticed one of them was tucked into a black glove. He did not move as Seonghwa reached out for him, gently drawing his hand, which was cramped in the blanket, towards him.

"I am sorry. I couldn't- It can be dealt with, Hongjoong. We can fix it, you don't have to worry too much, but-"

The thought of a new arm, one that was not his, repelled Hongjoong. He wanted his arm. That had been with him all his life.

Hongjoong saw the tears glistening in Seonghwa's eyes as he shook his head rapidly, confused and stubborn. He wanted to complain, to explain to Seonghwa that a different arm was not the same, but another thought finally reached him.

Seonghwa was here and he was crying. He had to take care of that first.

"Don't cry, why are you crying? Have you lost something, too?", Hongjoong asked in a soft singing voice, stroking the smooth cheek of the other in concern. Seonghwa just closed his eyes, shed more precious tears.

Hongjoong smiled trembling, trying to make it better.

"Don't cry, Hwa. We'll find it again."

The nightwalker shot up at his side, one hand pressed to his lips, while the other frantically groped for the button to the door.

"Sorry, I can't." He broke off choking, stormed out of the room and left Hongjoong alone. 

The grin was frozen on his face and Hongjoong just sat there, sinking back into his trance. 

-

The next time he awoke, Yunho sat at his side, holding a measuring device over his wrist. The man's face was absolutely peaceful and relaxed, focused on his task and it was good to see him. Hongjoong knew he was doing well.

He sat up, just a quick glance at his shoulder. No arm. Alright.

"Hey," Yunho greeted him softly, peering intently at Hongjoong's face as he turned his head towards him.

"Hey. How long was I out?"

Yunho seemed to find whatever was in his eyes and leaned back satisfied, but kept Hongjoong's hand in his. He felt... more. Acutely aware of the touch.

"Just a few days. Almost two weeks if you count your time on the ship. The shock still hasn't let you out of its clutches."

Hongjoong's eyes wandered back to his shoulder, morbidly drawn in, yet repulsed by the sight.

"What did I-"

A sudden memory flashed through his system. A dark room, his body covered all over with blood. Hellish pain as if he had been thrown into hot lava in his shoulder.

"Oh. I was awake."

Yunho looked for a moment. Then he gently slid closer and began to examine his pupils.

"You mean here? When Seonghwa was here?"

Seonghwa was here? He did not remember.

"No. There's a dark room, it's not here. It could be a prison. I'm there and I'm hurt. And- oh. Seonghwa is there too." He saw the image clearer and clearer in his mind's eye, could see deep wounds in the face of his beautiful nightwalker, endless worry as he knelt by his side.

They spoke. They talked and Hongjoong sounded like he was dying.

"Am... Did I die, Yunho? Did Yeosang somehow...?" He stared deeper into his memories, trying to recognize what was being said.

"Hongjoong... Look at me. Stop." A gentle hand on his chin tore him back to the present. Wildly he met Yunho's eyes.

"You're alive. You're with us on the Sunrise and everything's fine, right? Don't dig around in your head."

Nothing was fine. What were those memories? What had happened? All he remembered was a detonation, and then... and then... nothing. Just blurry images that slipped away.

Yunho's eyes were pleading, his otherwise happy face full of worry and Hongjoong immediately gave in. It would take time.

He nodded weakly. 

"Your stats are normal but you need much more rest. I'll bring you some food and see if you feel better tomorrow, okay?"

Hongjoong just nodded.

-

It became clear relatively quickly that Yunho kept him away from the crew. Seonghwa did not come to see him again and Hongjoong felt more and more alone with Yunho on the ship every day. 

The bleuwy did not mention the others at all, did not say where they were going or why only he was looking after Hongjoong. There was complete radio silence and it took three days before this began to worry Hongjoong seriously.

When Yunho came into the room this time, he was already waiting, his one hand clenched into a fist. 

The bleuwy put down his food and began to measure his data, ignoring the foaming human at his side for the time being.

"Where are the others? Are you hiding something from me? What happened?"

Yunho had only sighed deeply, his shoulders tense with worry and his huge hands gentle on Hongjoong's wrist.

"I am not. I've been waiting for you to think far enough to want to see them again They miss you, Captain," he assured him softly and Hongjoong's throat tightened. All the time they waited for him, probably worried sick. Seonghwa waited for him.

"May I see them?"

"Tomorrow, alright? I'll tell them so you can prepare." And after a long time, Yunho had finally smiled again. And Hongjoong felt the strength growing inside of him through that smile. 

"I miss them too, Yunho."

And Yunho had silently pulled him to his side, pressed him tightly against his big, familiar body. Hongjoong had first reckoned that he didn not want to touch him, did not want feel his mutilated shoulder on his body, but the first wave of fear disappeared and then he snuggled warmly into the embrace of the other. 

He looked forward to tomorrow.

-

"Hey, Hwa"

"Hmm?"

"If we get out of here alive..." Take a break.

A quiet laugh answered him. "This is a possibility. If, not a temporal when, you sure?"

"If we get out of here alive, let's get married."

The nightwalker gave him a faint smile. "I'm in."

"Thank heaven, this would have been awkward if you were not."

"How many kids do you want?"

"More people on board? More kids on board? Slow down."

"I want a girl."

"I want a boy."

They laughed, painfully, Hongjoong pressing his weak hand against his blood-soaked shoulder. 

"So at least two, huh?"

"We can't be pirates with children anymore. At least not for now. "

"Until your arm works again, it's not going to work anyway. Give us a break, huh? And in a year or two we'll be flying again."

"Yeah. If we get out of here."

"When we get out, Joong."


	14. Complete

Yunho kept his promise and took Hongjoong to the crew the next morning. In fact, they had all gathered on the bridge, sitting in different stages of stress, when Yunho came in with Hongjoong.

Hongjoong felt healthy. His shoulder did not give him any problems, just flashed in phantom pain or tensed uncomfortably every now and then. According to Yunho, nothing unusual. That's why he had insisted on walking himself. There was no need for him to look even more miserable than he already did.

They had put a knot in his loose sleeve so that it would not dangle in the way and Hongjoong had gotten used to everything somehow through the last days. The missing weight, the rings that were now lying unused on his bedside table, the unnecessary cloth at his side.

His crew, however, had yet to see all this and Hongjoong hated the way his stomach contracted in fear at the thought. He was nauseous all morning.

San was the first to see him. He sat in Hongjoong's chair and had turned it towards the door, chewing on his fingernails with his legs pulled tightly against his chest. When the door opened, he first raised his eyes uninterested, but he jumped to his feet like lightning when he saw Hongjoong.

Hongjoong knew that he looked tired, absolutely worn out and war-torn. But nothing in the world could give him more energy than the big smiles on Wooyoung's and Mingi's faces, when they also immediately collected around to him.

San was the first one with him, materialised right in front of him and pulled him into a strong, warm embrace. Hongjoong let go a breath he did not know he had been holding, putting his remaining arm tightly around the other's figure.

"Hey, baby."

"You're back, we missed you so much. Are you okay? How are you?!" He pushed Hongjoong an arm's length away, eyeballing him sceptically. But before he could comment, Mingi and Wooyoung also crashed into his side.

"Watch out! You might hurt him!"

"You watch out, I was here first!"

"We played fair who gets to hug him first and I won!

The two were about to grab each other by the hair, so Hongjoong just stepped silently towards them, snuggled up by their side while he stroked Wooyoung's back soothingly.

"I'm here, it's okay."

Immediately they dropped their resistance, crowded near him like two overzealous puppies begging for attention. Mingi almost threw the two smaller bodies over.

A long, suffocating embrace later, Hongjoong's fingers had finally stopped shaking and he could look at the other two less cuddly boys in the room a little more calmly. 

Jongho merely made a grimace at him, which Hongjoong returned childishly, while Yeosang smiled softly.

He had thought for a moment that that was it, but then a small, screeching bundle of green crashed into his chest. Frightened, he caught it and pressed it tightly against his chest, while Aurora went into an angry tirade about how worried she was and how he should never do that again.

"I don't intend to lose the other one too, playing pirate will be damn hard," he had soothed her laughing and she had angrily bitten his collarbone, did not want to let go anymore.

Hongjoong cooed apologies to her from time to time, then looked around with a smile between his friends.

They did npt look pitying. Just happy to see him back on his feet.

He could not wait to spend the whole evening with them and return to their routine.

But first he was missing someone here.

Going for asking Yunho, he just opened his mouth when he was already answered. 

"In the infirmary."

Hongjoong's stomach dropped again abruptly and restlessly he clasped his hands around Aurora, careful not to hurt her.

Please no, if Seonghwa had done something stupid again, then...

"Go to him. We're waiting for you." With a sad smile, Yunho plucked the wildly kicking and protesting Aurora from his grasp and pushed her on to Mingi.

Hongjoong left worried, his hand clenched helplessly into a fist again as he went to Seonghwa. He knocked at the infirmary door, waiting anxiously for permission to come in.

When a faint humming sound came, Hongjoong had the door open with one quick movement, tumbling to Seonghwa's side. 

The man sat on the floor by the bed, head lowered to his chest and legs stretched out in front of him. In his lap lay his bared hand, cruelly disfigured and full of open, white shimmering wounds where whole chunks of his flesh were missing. Hongjoong counted five fingers after all.

"You absolute idiot."

With two steps, Hongjoong was with him and above him, gently pulled his hand away before he slipped into the nightwalker's lap.

He had no time to find himself repulsive. Seonghwa had not drunk from him for far too long.

"Hongjoong." He sounded tired, as if he was weakly protesting, but Hongjoong left him no choice b, grabbing him roughly by the neck to bring his face close to Hongjoong's neck.

"Drink. We can talk later."

And Seonghwa obeyed without questions. His teeth sank softly into Hongjoong's flesh, his healthy hand gently gripping his shoulder.

Hongjoong gazed blankly at the ceiling, letting him do his thing while an endless stream of thoughts flashed through his mind. What was the next step? How would Seonghwa behave towards him in the future? Had he and Wooyoung settled their dispute? He felt so helpless. 

Angrily, he blinked tears from his eyes, listening to Seonghwa's laborious swallowing as he too struggled against them.

Everyone else could treat him as usual, could they not? So maybe... one day, Seonghwa and he would be the same again too.

Seonghwa raised his head, Hongjoong lowered his and for a long moment they stared at each other in pain, wishing they could help each other somehow.

Then Seonghwa sighed softly, taking Hongjoong's face in his healing hand.

"What kind of man are you, Kim Hongjoong? Why do you have me wrapped around your finger?"

Hongjoong had to smile tortured, clasping his own hand over Seonghwas cheek.

"You were alive, did you even realize? You got us out from under there."

"I lived for you. Live to see you live."

It was a secret between Seonghwa and him. A secret that had started in that cell. How they had made a promise. How Seonghwa had pulled himself together to live.

"On top of that, it was clearly the crew that saved us. My maneuver would've failed if some blood-stained Wooyoung hadn't shown up." He said it with humor, but Hongjoong wanted to forget. Forget, how the fighting Seonghwa had kneeled under one of his own kind, a soldier with the muzzle of his rifle down his neck, ready to fire. How Wooyoung had come to them first, had freed Seonghwa without hesitation.

Their fear when they found Hongjoong, half dead and cruelly mutilated in a pool of his own blood.

And Seonghwa, the only one who was sure he would live. Because Hongjoong had promised him. They would marry if they lived.

And they were alive.

And Seonghwa did not plan on stopping for now.

Hongjoong put his arm around Seonghwa's shoulders. 

"It doesn't matter. We are here. Please don't scare me anymore."

Seonghwa just nodded, then looked down at his hand that had finally begun to heal. Fleetingly, he slipped his glove back over the undoubtedly terribly aching wound.

"Ah, that reminds me... The others have something else for you. They wanted to wait until everyone was awake and sane again." 

Seonghwa got up effortlessly, held Hongjoong like a koala pressed against his body and he supported himself with his legs, looking up at his nightwalker in amazement.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. "Come on, let's go."

Hongjoong stopped him before they could get through the door.

"Hey. Do you know how long I've been up now without you kissing me? I'm in rehab and I don't like it!" 

And Seonghwa had turned, pushing him against the wall by the door instead. 

"I thought you didn't like tasting your blood?"

"Shut up."

And they were a little late, but what did that matter?

-

The crew's gift to Hongjoong made everyone very nervous. 

After Seonghwa had carried it in, both of them with carelessly tousled hair and slipping clothes, they had first received a round of lewd cheering.

Then Hongjoong was put down on his chair and faced a nervous bunch of aliens.

"What, are you guys trying to tell me you're leaving or something? You really didn't have to wait," he joked amusedly, knowing he could trust them, but San and Jongho had looked at him in shock. Mingi looked completely betrayed.

Seonghwa nodded at Yeosang and he turned around, digging something out of a bag behind him.

"After you said you didn't want a new arm, we improvised. It is far from perfect but it will not pretend to be your flesh and blood either. Besides, it's very functional. You don't have to wear it," Seonghwa explained quietly and Hongjoong already had breathing problems before Yeosang turned around.

He just glanced at the prosthesis, worked on for hours at painstakingly crafted metals, gears and wires, and burst out crying loudly.

Of course he would wear it.


	15. News

Hongjoong's new arm worked perfectly fine.

It had taken them a while to comfortably connect the heavy metal to his shoulder and while the medical process was sufficient by it's own, he was still wearing a shoulder strap across his chest to save his arm from its full weight for now.

Yeosang had shown him how the metal was built in detail, where improvements could be made, and how his range of motion was now. Hongjoong was absolutely delighted to be able to use all his fingers without any problems and often stared down at the metal in amazement

It helped him immensely in dealing with the loss, for the arm made it disppear. He treated it as a change of his arm, not as a loss and regain. It made it easier for him to accept it.

However, he often found himself alone in the bathroom, standing in front of their mirror and staring dully at the shoulder piece that hid the end of his shoulder from his eyes. There was no horrible scar tissue, only smooth flesh, but it did not make things any easier.

Hongjoong welcomed the arm, was willing to live with it, but he could not help but feel disfigured. His piercings were a different story than a whole missing arm, how could Seonghwa still want to look at him like that?

He knew that the thought was unnecessary, never doubted Seonghwa's feelings for a second. Yet his brain betrayed him with its poisonous thoughts.

His crew found the arm absolutely super-cool. Everyone gave their opinions, which hidden weapons to put in it, admired its newly gained power.

Seonghwa never said a word. 

It was three days later when Hongjoong just sat in his room, his hands playing with each other in his lap, when Seonghwa entered the room alone.

Both of them had needed the closeness of the crew, had hardly spent any time together and slowly they were becoming calm enough to feel safe alone. They began to forget.

And Hongjoong might sit on his bed in silence, his eyes blankly fixed on the wall and absorbed in his thoughts, but that did not stop Seonghwa from coming to him. In a flowing movement, the nightwalker slipped onto the bed behind him, put one arm around the younger one's hip, and buried the other hand in the mop of white hair on Hongjoong's head (San had wanted to swap haircolours so bad).

"Hey."

His hand was gentle as it pulled Hongjoong's head backwards, leaning it against his shoulder to be able to press a soft kiss on the corner of the human's mouth. 

Hongjoong smiled weakly.

"Yeo gave me something for you. It's... I don't know, something for your arm?" He dropped his hand from Hongjoong's hair to let his fingertips slowly slide over the cold metal of his arm. He carefully placed a small box on Hongjoong's thigh, then used the chance immediately to leave his hand there.

Hongjoong leaned back more relaxed against the other's chest, distracted for the moment by Yeosang's gift. Curious, he opened the box, just peeking inside for a moment.

It was a piece of metal. A piercing, to be exact, and if you wanted to take it to the extreme-

Hongjoong abruptly snapped the box shut again, glad to sit with his back to Seonghwa in that moment as the blush crept high into his cheeks.

"What, what is it?" Seonghwa curiously grabbed the box, laughing as Hongjoong frantically pushed it between his legs. 

"Nothing! Nothing at all! A joke, hahahaha, Yeosang so funny!" he hurried to call out hysterically, cursing Yeosang a hundred and one times in his head.

"What, that bad? Come on, say something if you don't want to be grroped on purpose."

Hongjoong just threw an ironic grin over his shoulder, trying to play down his shyness.

"It's not like it's so dramatic."

"It's the one forbidden piercing, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"I feel eavesdropped on."

"Yeah."

Hongjoong sighed deeply and let Seonghwa do it as he resolutely spread his legs with both hands to grab the box. He let one hand rest in Hongjoong's lap, dangerously close to the discussed spot, and with the other he curiously opened the small green box.

"He wrote us a letter, no, how sweet. Thanks, Yeo." 

No doubt he had heard that.

"Shouldn't we do this somewhere else? It's enough that he knows about it, isn't it?" Hongjoong's head was drooping, his cheeks glowing.

"No kidding. He made the problem himself. I'll be glad to help you change it, with extensive details and everything," Seonghwa fired back slyly, pressing a little kiss into Hongjoong's neck.

"Well, let's see. He built it himself, oof, a new kind of fucked up. He has-" Seonghwa narrowed his eyes and bent closer to read. Meanwhile Hongjoong plucked the piercing from its box, studied the harmless looking stud more closely.

"It looks normal."

Seonghwa had become uncharacteristically quiet. If his weight were not hanging over Hongjoong's shoulder, he probably would have thought the man had completely disappeared.

It was then that he let out an incredulous laugh.

Hongjoong turned in his embrace, looking up at him somewhat confused.

"This madman... Hongjoong, take off your clothes." Undaunted, he grabbed Hongjoong's waistband and was immediately met with resistance from his panicked, squealing boyfriend.

"Hey! Wait, what?! What did he write?" They began to fight wildly, Yeosang's gifts ending up on the bed somewhere between them. Hongjoong, of course, stood no chance against Seonghwa, even with a new arm, and it did not take long until Hongjoong, heated and fuzzy from their wrestling, had landed under Seonghwa, just looking up at him with big eyes.

Seonghwa just sat victoriously on his hips, licking his lips for a moment before he let his hand slide into Hongjoong's trousers without hesitation. There was only a singular choking sound, Seonghwa's hand cold around his sensitive flesh.

"Seonghwa! Talk to me, what did he write?!"

His nightwalker barely heard him, just groped all over the bed and Hongjoong tried to separate Seonghwa from himself with his new arm, gathering at least the attention of the other man.

"He's a genius, Joong, you have to hand it to the man. He deserves a promotion, maybe even a raise."

Hongjoong just stared at him.

"Speak up, Hwa, or I won't let you back in my bed ever again. What did Yeosang write?", he threatened hardly serious and Seonghwa 'aha!'ed loudly when he finally found the piece of metal, holding the evilly gleaming thing into the light.

"Well, we are two incompatible races, Joong. I can play woman forever and it doesn't matter. But guess what this lunatic did?" 

Hongjoong didn not like the glow in Seonghwa's eyes at all.

"No."

"Yes, Joong, he did-"

"No. Under no circumstances. We barely escaped death, we have so many other things to consider and you--"

Seonghwa was above him with an elegant movement, lolling like a cat on Hongjoong's body. The human finally managed to separate Seonghwa's hand from his important spots, lay battered under him.

"Let's get married, Hongjoong," Seonghwa breathed against his neck without a hint of hesitation in his voice, and helplessly Hongjoong just squealed, pushing him away from himself by his shoulder.

"Too fast, much too fast! You have to work on that, Hwa!"

Seonghwa was once again much too close, much too focused on Hongjoong's lap, and finally he had no choice but to throw his dazed nightwalker off, stumbling backwards towards the door.

Seonghwa watched him darkly from his bed, his eyes half closed and his hand wrapped loosely around the end of his neck. His long fingers played over smooth flesh, almost distracting Hongjoong.

"No. No. Ask me again in ten years."

And he fled. Flew right into Yeosang's chest as soon as he left the door.

"Oh, hi, Cap." The other one smiled at him absolutely angelically, innocently beaming and Hongjoong just gave him a wild look, then rushed to the door opposite of them.

"Oh, wait, Jongho was looking for you-" 

The bathroom door closed behind him, cutting off Yeosang's voice. Hongjoong ignored it, throwing his thoughts along with his clothes away before he entered the shower. Strangely enough, there was a foot-deep layer of water on the floor and Hongjoong saw something curiously orange in the bright light floating around in it.

At first he thought it was some Mingi hair, maybe one of San's toys, but no.

On closer examination, the thing turned out to be a seahorse. A small, orange animal in their tub.

"What the hell," Hongjoong just muttered to himself, then pulled the plug to rinse away the seahorse that Mingi was apparently keeping here, along with the water.

Only then did he jump under the cold shower, trying to push all thoughts of Seonghwa, piercings and the like far, far away from him.


	16. Aurora

"You gotta stop throwing the sea horse off the boat."

Surprised, Hongjoong turned to Jongho. He had seen the other man so rarely on the ship these past few days that it almost seemed as if he was actively avoiding him. So it was all the more confusing that the man now approached him with such a strange thing.

"Why? Did Mingi send you? We can have pets if you want, but I'd really like to have some that don't get stuck between my toes while I'm showering. If Mingi wanted to keep it, he should have told me."

Jongho looked desperate. Heavens, was the thing that important to them? Maybe Hongjong should have asked first, but he was distracted by the image of a wild Park Seonghwa on his bed, begging him to have children with him.

Hongjoong had been absolutely in the right.

"That's me, Captain."

"Huh? Only you wanted to keep it?" Hongjoong's brain was somewhere else again.

"I'm the sea horse!"

Hongjoong startled by the sudden outburst, stared at Jongho as if he had just tried to make him believe that he was secretly a sea horse.

Which was exactly what he was doing when Hongjoong's equipment was not completely broken.

"You're a seahorse."

"I'm the seahorse that you have now twice ignored and thrown off the ship, yeah. Not that I wanted to share this, but there you go." Jongho defiantly crossed his arms in front of his chest, merely staring down at Hongjoong in a now semi-threatening manner.

It was obviously not the most pleasant subject for him, but oh man, their strong, tough Jongho was a sea horse. Small and orange in the water.

"I'm not throwing you off the boat anymore, but I'm so gonna tell everyone." In a single bound, Hongjoong was on his feet and rushed past Jongho, surprising the man for a moment.

"Yah- Kim Hongjoong!"

Hongjoong noticed with amusement that no one but Seonghwa really called him by his name.

He basically fell into Wooyoung's room, found their lashunta stretched out over San and Yeosang, all three of them being part of a little cuddle circle. Yeosang immediately opened his eyes attentively when he noticed Hongjoong, staring at him questioningly.

"Jongho is a sea horse."

The agonized groaning behind him was Hongjoong's only warning before he was picked up gruffly by Jongho and landed with a cough over the man's shoulder.

"What are you going to do with him?", Yeosang inquired calmly while San was still poking Wooyoung excitedly, planning to convey the information to sleepy him.

"I'll throw him off the ship as he deserves."

Hongjoong had to laugh, but at the same time clung to the other man's hips in panic. That was Jongho, who always took things a little too seriously in their sportsmanship.

Their general volume had finally alarmed the others, too, and Seonghwa appeared sleepily in their doorway, biting his lip at the sight of the defenseless Hongjoong.

Mingi also peered curiously out of his room, his hair tied in two small braids that stood crookedly from his head. They posed as... horns?

"Do I have any say in this?" Seonghwa sounded throaty, his voice once again music to Hongjoong's ears.

"No. Accept it and get over him. You'll find someone new." Jongho shrugged, pressing some bone sharply into Hongjoong's lower abdomen. He growled warningly.

"Oh yeah, how about you, Jongho? I'm afraid the rest is somehow tied up differently."

Hongjoong did not need to see him to know with what kind of look Seonghwa was staring at Jongho, just rolling his eyes. Boiling jealousy flamed unwelcomed through his belly.

Jongho was obviously embarrassed.

"Uhh- I mean... No, so-"

What did his many seahorse girlfriends find so terribly attractive about him? A baby!

Wooyoung laughed squeakily from the door behind them, started clapping in joy and immediately whispered Hongjoong's feelings to San.

"Didn't anyone here know that Jongho is a seahorse?", Mingi of all people asked and Hongjoong turned his head to see Yunho at his side, and he was looking no less confused at his- friend? Lover? Soulmate? (Hongjoong should have asked before Jongho had decided upon his death.)

"You knew?"

"Yeah. I once found him in his teacup after he was too tired to keep this form. Happened right before my eyes. But I did not want to tell because we agreed that those things didn't matter." Mingi raised his shoulders nonchalantly, his eyes shining with mischief.

"Wait, when was that?" Hongjoong's position became quite uncomfortable.

"I don't know, a month? Two? A while ago."

"You kicked him out even though you knew it was him?!"

Hongjoong felt the hands holding him suddenly let go and landed on the floor when Jongho chased after Mingi, hunting the giggling man down the aisle furiously growling. Yunho followed alarmed and the trio also wanted to join for the gossip, but Hongjoong caught Yeosang by the arm, holding the man back.

They also had a score to settle.

Hongjoong pulled himself together and waited until the others had disappeared from the door. Only then he turned to Yeosang, built himself up threateningly in front of the absolutely calm man.

"So tell me, what were you thinking? I understand it must be cruel for you to hear us first, and then also Woosan, but-"

"As a matter of fact, captain, I heard Woosan before you two." A smirk spread from Yeosang's lips, making Hongjoong pause briefly. Seonghwa listened intently from their door.

"What? I thought it took them longer than that! With San and all?"

Yeosang had to laugh, short and cheerless.

"Cap. San literally laid Wooyoung on their first meeting."

Hongjoong choked, coughing painfully and did not even know which one he found worse. Wooyoung or Yeosang's crude choice of words just now.

"They did it the other way around. First wild sex, then this chaos of emotions. And I know, not listening and all, but come on, it was so effective!" Yeosang smiled at Seonghwa while saying the last part and Seonghwa just winked at him conspiratorially.

Hongjoong stopped coughing and turned back to Yeosang with a bright red head.

"I can't believe all of this right now. First Jongho, now those two. Does anyone know if Yunho is dating Mingi?

Puzzled looks.

"If it's any consolation, I don't think Yunho and Mingi know if Yunho is dating Mingi either." Yeosang patted Hongjoong's shoulder brotherly.

One never seemed to stop learning.

"Well, how do we get you to stop harassing us about our love life? You must have designed some kind of headphones for just that purpose. Why don't you wear them?"

"I mean, not that it's any of my business, but every once in a while, the security of knowing he did not accidentally suck too much blood from you is a nice one. Sorry, Hwa."

Seonghwa just waved off, looking most amused by all of this.

"We're working on it. Something that will make you listen only when your name is said or something. Then you'll be dependent on that and we won't have to be aware of every breath..."

Yeosang just grinned sinisterly, waving in contrast to that absolutely cutely with his sweater that had slipped over his hands before skipping away.

Hongjoong just sighed, acutely aware of Seonghwa's presence in his back.

"He's asking for it."

"Oh, he's so asking for it. Yeosang is full of secrets."

Hongjoong turned to Seonghwa as he glanced at his watch, making a surprised sound when he realized it was already late at night.

"Come with me, I have something to show you." Hurriedly, he grabbed Hongjoong's hand and dragged him along with him. Suspiciously, the other man stared at him, expecting a ruse, but nothing like that happened. Seonghwa just pulled him out onto the outer deck and despite his temperature regulating clothes, Hongjoong shivered briefly in the night.

He had noticed that they were flying closer to colder climes, but this was extreme. In front of them stretched a wintry island, nothing but glittering snow and ice as far as the eye could see.

"Look up."

Hongjoong did, and Hongjoong got his breath stuck in his throat.

Above them stretched the northern lights, like colorful veils in the air, and it might have been the most breathtaking thing Hongjoong had ever set his eyes on. Their vivid colors shone from within, incomparable to anything else.

Not a sound escaped him as he slowly turned around, studying all the overwhelming beauty around him, seeing countless stars between the lights and he wanted to stay forever, never to let his eyes separate from it again.

He finally sat down, afraid he would fall from the deck if he kept turning and stayed like that for several hours, barely able to see anything else, full of the sheer amount of natural beauty in front of him.

He was here. It had taken a long time, but he was here and saw the aurora with his own eyes. And they were way better than anything he had ever imagined in his dreams.

As if reminded of his beautiful nightwalker, Hongjoong turned to him gratefully then. Seonghwa sat leaning against the railing, his gentle eyes constantly fixed on Hongjoong. On the railing behind him sat Aurora herself, looking up into the sky just as overwhelmed, and the sky was reflecting in her black beady eyes.

Hongjoong said not a word, just crawling silently over to Seonghwa and into his lap, and joined their mouths together in a soulful kiss.


	17. All things come to him who waits

Within a few months countless things happened that made up for all the suffering and waiting.

The first thing that reached them was the news of Wooyoung's father's death. The official version said that he had met his end in old age, but Changkyun had something else to say. It had been he himself who had met the other man at a parade in Reingen. The fact that a farlan had torn his face off his head there might be remotely connected with Changkyun. The man was now on the run as well, had taken shelter with a group of six other men who together were making the sky unsafe to travel.

Wooyoung was not directly sad, but the news hit him hard and for a while he was secluded in his room, letting only Yeosang and San join him.

Shortly afterwards Taemin found out about Seonghwa's and Hongjoong's decision to get married and he even appeared on their ship in proper clothes to take the promise from both of them. The ceremony was simple, just the words to stay together forever and if they did not, death by Taemin. 

Yunho told them about the old weddings, white dresses and black suits and the influence of the church. Couples who married just to break up again.

It was strange to them, but it made good story material for the time after that, when they all sat outside on deck again and laughed together. They were still far in the north, the colorful lights above them witnessed their promise, and Hongjoong's head lay in Seonghwa's lap as he stared up at the stars full of melancholy.

He had both hands crossed on his stomach and a third of Seonghwa's was also lying there, the identical tattoos on their wrists radiating gentle warmth.

It had been Aurora's idea to wear them there. It had been their whole beginning.

They did not talk about the fight with Wooyoung anymore, never asked Yeosang what it was about him, even though Taemin took him aside a while later. Wooyoung confirmed their suspicion that he was trying to give their mechanic a way out, a new way to live, but Yeosang carefully refused. He was satisfied with the way things were.

In any case, everyone returned seamlessly to normal mode and Seonghwa and Wooyoung became an unbeatable team, experts in the ability to live and save lives. 

The next good news came in the form of Youjin. The cat man stayed with them on the ship for several days, informing them of Miset's plans to found a new home for pirates. Jongho's parents wanted to support Jongho in everything that their 'Tender Floret Bambi Baby' was doing and Changkyun was very happy to make Hilg available.

So the legacy of the comets lived on and it was Hongjoong and his crew who made the various preparations, arranged with groups and organized the construction of a settlement. The interest was enormous and with Changkyun's group successfully keeping away possible government dogs, the prospects were good that a new pirate age with a centre could soon be established.

All this and after their wedding Seonghwa had finally managed to persuade Hongjoong to have a baby with him.

"We will be there and take care of all the new people first anyway! A child would have no difficulty growing up," were Seonghwa's soft words, and Hongjoong had first consulted Yunho for a long time.

But in fact, there was nothing at all wrong with having a child. And so they used their last days in the far north to do just that after a long, long study of Yeosang's designs. 

It would be harder, with Seonghwa normally not considered capable of bearing a child, but more blood and various medical help from Yunho's side made everything possible. 

So Seonghwa carried their child for six long months while they rebuilt Hilg and provided shelter for pirates around their base.

Hongjoong met new friends during Changkyun's time, Mingis former idol group Oneus and many others who stayed with them. 

Taemin supervised everything from a safe distance, regularly sending tips or Moonbin to help. Moonbin was - as ATEEZ learned much later - the son of Taega and Jinki, the best friends of Akye herself, whom Taemin had known personally.

His story was one of many shared between fugitives, pirates and homeless people of all kinds, and their society grew rapidly. Hongjoong quickly became known for building a pirate empire and was nicknamed the Pirate King by the government and pirates alike.

He had become a powerful man. 

A powerful man, who at the same time responded to the wishes and worries of all, always had an open ear and was protected from all sides. 

.

When Youjin returned from his visit to Mars at some point, he had a horde of minions with him, wobbling behind him maliciously singing and planning. Youjin also found a place among the many people on Hilg, and his minions became a nice, new decoration for the island. 

Hongjoong was absolutely thrilled by them and always had at least two at his side who looked up at him in astonishment. 

Hongjoong was still the softest and most harmonic pirate you could imagine, but it did not matter. Only his closest friends knew this and the rest feared him and kept their hands off his island.

Something like E27 would never happen again and it was Seonghwa who would make sure of it. With him right in their heart, there was no possibility of fall and Hongjoong saw a bright future ahead.

After long months of waiting, which passed in a flash, with all their work, the time had come and Yunho grabbed Seonghwa, piloting him out of the room where a good part of the rest of their group was sitting.

It was Aurora who came down to the rivers to tell Hongjoong about it, and he dropped everything, falling over a giggling minion as he made his way to the palace.

Poor Youjin had been assigned as a guard and he was the first to get the rush of Hongjoong's nervousness. He kept surprisingly still and calm as Hongjoong grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to his height.

"What's going on, how is he, can I go in?!"

And Youjin just shook his head politely.

"Yunho said it's a bad idea. Your blood could screw things up and since we don't know whose genes are dominant you're endangering your child's life."

So Hongjoong crouched in a corner and nervously chewed his fingernails off. 

San and Wooyoung later joined him and sat with him in a small circle, trying to calm him down.

"Of all people, he takes Mingi in there! He threw Jongho off the boat!"

"Well, I don't want to judge or anything, but you did too."

And Hongjoong had shakily and weakly struck after a delighted Wooyoung, had waited for Jongho to arrive in order to nestle in his protective embrace. They waited tense and nervous, trusting Yunho blindly, but the waiting drove everyone crazy.

"How far is it for you two?", Youjin had asked San with a murmur, and he had only touched his belly briefly, then shrugged his shoulders. 

"We won't make such a big deal out of it, like Mr. Dying Swan."

So San was hit too.

It was Taemin of all people who finally opened the door. He grinned mischievously at their little therapy circle. Hongjoong had stumbled into a wall when he jumped to his feet too quickly.

"You come in, the rest of you wait, please. Mingi, wanna pass the time?"

Mingi had eagerly run outside, jumped into their midst and started to talk, while Hongjoong had staggered past Taemin with wild hair and nervous eyes.

He had first found Seonghwa in his bed, gently smiling and absolutely calm compared to his chaotic husband.

And Hongjoong had more or less fallen next to him on the bed, careful not to touch the injured nightwalker when he had kissed him, absolutely uncoordinated and probably in tears.

Seonghwa had only been able to laugh, pulling Hongjoong close to his side to calm the other's shivering body.

"So, how are the stats, Doc?", the nightwalker then asked Yunho gently, Taemin sat smiling beside the door on a table, dangling his long legs. He even wore a nurse's uniform - a white dress - as a man. Incredible.

"You've got a perfectly healthy girl of nightwalker descent and now you're fighting over a name."

Hongjoong was overjoyed, had not even given another thought to the fact that he actually wanted a boy first, because even that still had time.

For the time being, only the small bundle in Yeosang's arms at their side that was beating the man with tiny fists and Seonghwa counted. And Seonghwa's impertinent mouth.

"Hah, told you I was the dominant one."

Taemin's dry snort filled the room as Hongjoong turned around in outrage.

"You lie there absolutely defenseless and weak, trying to tell me about domination?"

"We can always put the next one in you and see how much you have left to say then."

Hongjoong had just grabbed Seonghwa by the hair and roughly kissed him. He had everything he ever wanted. A safe heaven A new world just for him. An utopia of his own.


	18. Epilogue

"So. I see you have some stories to tell."

Hongjoong grinned disarmingly at his mother from where he stood by Seonghwa's side. He had interlocked one hand with the nightwalker's, their tattoos close together and obvious in their otherness about their bond. Moreover, he was standing with Crescent on his hip and she was already muttering with her short arms stretched out for his mother.

"We came as early as we could," he promised immediately and his mother's gentle face took on an amused expression.

"Yes? She looks like two, you think that's early?"

Hongjoong sulkingly pulled his pretty daughter closer in his arms, dropping Seonghwa's hand in return. 

"We might as well leave."

Her bell-like laughter echoed through the house, making Hongjoong's crew smile. Seonghwa casually threw one arm around Hongjoong's shoulders, playing with one of Crescent's small hands.

"What's her name?" 

Curious, his mother reached out a hand for the little black-haired beauty, cooing and stroking her soft cheek.

"Crescent. You know, like-"

"Like you used to call your ship back then, yes. Of course."

It had been little Hongjoong's entire world, his own imaginary pirate ship.

His mother pretended there were no tears in her eyes, but her voice broke when she next started to speak, and poor Crescent stared at her in shock. Seeking help, she stretched out her hands again.

It was Mingi, who danced like a hero from their ranks to pull Hongjoong's tiny mommy into his arms, pressing her protectively against his huge frame. She immediately clung to him, had basically adopted him and San since they first knew each other, and he now spoke softly to her, his deep voice soothing.

"Mama ouch", Crescent turned to Seonghwa with concern and he shook his head gently, taking her up in his own arm. She immediately snuggled willingly against him, buried her nose in his neck. Whines escaped her when she could find no pulse and immediately stretched out her hands back to Hongjoong, demanding him again. Seonghwa looked slightly indignant.

"Granny, do you remember? Hongjoong's mom is a granny. And no, not an ouch. Happy. So..." Hongjoong grinned broadly at his daughter to show her, and she patted her hands together knowingly, nodded seriously. 

"What else do you have to tell me, pirate king?"

Hongjoong turned around smiling and found his mother embraced by Mingi, slowly rocking them both back and forth. He had put his chin on her head and peacefully closed his eyes, holding her with all his caution.

"Uhh, San and Wooyoung were busy, too," he immediately redirected the from blame himself, sticking out his tongue at his more or less brother childishly as San just stared at him in disappointment.

"Really?! You're all so young and already building families... Now I feel old."

Immediately, everyone started protesting.

"You're not old, you've never gone beyond 42!"

She just laughed and then tilted her head in question. Obviously neither Wooyoung nor San had a child with them.

"Ah, yes. We left the twins at home before they caused too much chaos. We all didn't really want to stay that long either. Just say hello and then leave you alone," Wooyoung rescued them quickly, flicking silver hair from his forehead.

Hongjoong's mother nodded softly and finally said hello to the rest of them. Her eyes brushed Hongjoong's metallic hand for a long moment as it reached out to Crescent, but except for a tearful smile, she made no comment.

"We have a present, as a consolation," Yunho suddenly announced and he took the strange yellow thing out from under his arm and put it on its feet in front of Hongjoong's mother. It babbled incomprehensibly, waving in greeting.

"This is a minion. It's impractical, but very cute. It is not much smaller than Cap; it can replace him well and looks better."

Seonghwa covered Crescent's eyes while Hongjoong viciously kicked Yunho.

Hongjoong's mother just laughed, then took the minion by the hand and separated from Mingi.

"Let's catch up before you go. I want to know everything and get to know this little lady as well." She smiled broadly at Crescent, and Crescent did the same with her little teeth, her fangs already almost strong enough to pierce Hongjoong's neck if he was not careful.

Together they squeezed themselves into their second home, filling it with new life.

Hongjoong's mother couldn't be happier about the gorgeous, large family of her dreamy son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again I hope you enjoyed this mess of crackish aliens! 
> 
> Thanks to all the people here, no matter what they are doing with this and special thanks as always to my diligent commentators, who with their feedback helped to progress and understand my story better~
> 
> Now for the interesting part.
> 
> All of you have read about the whole Akye/Comets stuff. The thing is this is basically a spin off to an original story which features a reader insert (except she's called Akye) and various korean actors in the main roles. There's also all the k-pop groups running around that's why they were missing here xD
> 
> So I'm not sure if anybody wanted to read it as a sequel maybe? It has a lot of background information on this universe and features deep insights about the nightwalkers and the government and politics of this. Just leave me a comment if you are interested and I will see to its translation!


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